Kim Possible: Empires
by LJ58
Summary: Sequel to Legacies & Dynasties. Kim and Shego have faced Death, and the Cosmos, and won. They seem due for a little rest and relaxation. Only someone out there isn't quite ready to allow that just yet. Someone that wants to ensure a certain prophecy never has a chance.
1. Chapter 1

_I do not own any Disney characters named herein, and am only borrowing them to tell a nonprofit tale meant for entertainment purposes only._

**Kim Possible: Empires**

**By LJ58**

**Prelude:**

He lay curled in darkness. The dank coolness of the massive cavern that was his lair suited him.

It suited his mood, and his manner.

He also rather enjoyed the way it disconcerted those that came to call on him in the, to them, unnerving environ.

He still smirked at remembering the way they often scuttled into his domain, eyes, or other senses searching shadows. Seeking out his presence. Seeing him only when he wished it.

Then, watching their alarm when they finally spotted him.

Their horror was delicious.

It amused him.

Even those that considered themselves his superiors never truly saw him in truth. They came thinking him but a tool in their machinations, claiming he was leader to their cause, though he knew they saw him so in name alone. They always felt themselves above him, and only borrowed his power for their own aims. He was no fool. He knew the truth of their ways. All of them. In truth, he used them, as much as they tried to use him.

Watching such beings scuttle away virtually reeking with relief that they survived an audience always amused him, too.

Watching those feline Hugaan slink into the cavern now told him all he needed to know about their recent operations in that accursed galaxy he had targeted through his pawns of late.

They had failed.

Again.

Raising a massive, craggy head as he lifted himself out of the shadows, he looked down at the felines with a cold scowl. His reptilian hide was so dark a red he looked almost black, especially in the covering shadows filling his dimly lit lair.

Only great, gleaming grayish eyes betrayed his presence as he shifted, then moved to take a single step toward the furtive intruders, the heavy fall of one foot echoing around them as they froze, and one gave an instinctive hiss of alarm.

"Why are you here without the human's head," he growled archly.

"She….already ascended," the spokesman all but wailed. "Forgive us, lord, but the M'Kandii dragoness has already grown in such power and might that she bent the entire Lorwardian Empire to her will with but a word."

"A word," he growled. "Highly doubtful. More likely you fools let them exploit that ridiculous prophecy. I told you to ensure that blind poet died before it could spread. Did I not?"

"Forgive us, great lord. We did not think a single poet could…."

He growled, his nostrils quivering as thick, gray mist not unlike smoke rose as he grumbled deep in his blood-red chest.

"Forgive us," the feline howled, and all but flung himself to his face, prostrate before him now. "Command us! Tell us how to make amends! Our lives are yours!"

"So they are," he said, and a great forelimb reached down, plucked the cowering feline up, and lifted him to the level of his great head.

The feline all but sprayed urine all over itself as it whined in his grip.

"What did I tell you?"

The feline didn't reply.

"What did I tell you," he echoed, his deep voice dropping even lower, sounding all the more grim.

"Not to…..underestimate…..the dragon-spawn."

"Indeed. Yet you toyed with her. Gave her the chance to grow. To mature. I should rend you, cat," he snarled. "Rend you, and suck on your bones!"

"Wait! It was not our fault. It was those vile squid! They, and that redheaded witch that aids her! We did not know she was given power, too!"

"What….witch?"

"The dragon's p'n'ch'ssa! Somehow….we learned belatedly, she took Communion with the Great Mother herself! She is….unstoppable! A demon in battle. She stands with the M'Kandii heir, and is a true warrior herself!"

"Redheaded….witch," the the great shadow-beast grumbled.

He dropped the feline, ignoring the snap of its legs, and the howl of its pain as it hit the ground from so high up.

"A mere p'n'ch'ssa was allowed to take Communion? And _survived?"_

"She is said to be the dragoness' very twin! Save in coloring," the injured feline moaned in pain.

He gave a low, throaty chortle.

"Another Blood Heir? After all this time," he said, rising higher in the cavern, the shadow of his bulk looming larger than ever, "I think I shall visit this meager galaxy after all, and this M'Kandii world's Lady. Yes," he said, "I think I shall."

"What….? What of us, great one," the injured feline whined, laying on his side, gritting his teeth against the pain of his shattered limbs.

"Yes, what of you? Spineless…. Incompetent…. Still, perhaps not completely useless," he said, his great jaws lowering. "After all, I've a long trip before me, and I am…..hungry."

Their echoing cries of fear and pain lasted longer than they did.

_To Be Continued…_


	2. Chapter 2

_I do not own any Disney characters named herein, and am only borrowing them to tell a nonprofit tale meant for entertainment purposes only._

**Kim Possible: Empires**

**By LJ58**

**1**

Kim rolled over, and groaned, her head spinning slightly as she realized she had moved too fast again.

"You okay, Pumpkin," Shego asked her.

"Peachy," the redhead groaned. "Remind me to never drink Melosian Wine again."

"Hey, you wanted to try it. 'Don't insult the guests,' you said. 'We have to show our willingness to try new things,' you said."

"Shego," she grumbled, her face almost as green as Shego's skin just then. "Shut up."

The quip was spiritless, and utterly without any real spark just then.

"Poor, Kimmie," Shego grinned. "Are you feeling that bad?"

"Morning, mistress. Siggy bring you meal. Roast du'uarbul, and jellied….."

Kim paled, leapt from the bed, and raced to the bathroom.

Shego smirked as she heard the unmistakable sounds from the bathroom.

"I don't think it was the wine, Kimmie. I think that was our daughter telling you she didn't like Siggy's cooking."

"I thought the Lady liked Siggy's cooking," Sigseetz pouted as best an bipedal insect could without human features, his antennae waving in apprehension.

"Not just now," Shego grinned knowing. "I think Kimmie is suffering from that timeless malady known as….."

"Shego," Kim's voice croaked from beyond the still open door. "You aren't supposed to be enjoying….."

She broke off to vomit again.

"Oh, but I am. Especially after all those…._delicacies_ you made me try. Besides, right now, my long, fabled wisdom is holding sway."

"What fabled wisdom is that," a tall woman with silver hair and dark eyes asked as she walked into the room wearing a dark green gown.

Shego grinned as she glanced at Kim staggering out of the bathroom with a damp cloth over her face.

"That one that says, 'Better you, than me.'"

"Ah," the silver dragoness in human form nodded. "Even I know of this wisdom. Still, the mother's complaint is common to all breeders. Do not fret, it will pass quickly after you lay your egg."

"My….egg," Kim choked, looking stunned as she went to sit on the edge of the bed. "Uhm, Gryzza, humans don't lay eggs."

"You don't," she frowned. "Then how do you…..?"

"Siggy has watched educational holo-vids. Mammals like Lady Kimberly actually bear live young. After many months. No eggs. No caches. They even nurse their own young."

"How…..barbaric," the woman shuddered. "And messy."

"It's how we bond with our young," Kim grumbled. "And there's nothing wrong with bearing live young," she shot at Sigseetz.

"No. Nothing at all. Siggy is very sure many will wish to try this method themselves once the Lady sets the example for her people."

Kim threw her hands up, and fell back on the bed.

"I give up."

"Smart," Shego sniggered.

"So, what's on the agenda for today," Kim complained, finally standing up again, but pausing to eye her reflection in the mirror with a grimace.

Not quite three months, and she was already looking….pudgy.

"Don't worry, Princess. You're not fat yet," Shego quipped, coming up behind her to rub the faintly swollen mound of her abdomen easily visible through her thin gown.

"That's not reassuring," she grumbled, though she leaned back into Shego's arms.

Lady Gyrzza only smiled very, very faintly at the pair.

Even after almost a full half year in their company, she was still finding them a most peculiar, and at times irrational couple. Yet they seemed to accomplish far more than most, and she had seen them both overcome seriously daunting odds in the very short time she had known them.

The Nonaligned Worlds already feared them with a reserve usually spared only for the Great Lady Herself. By now, many knew of the M'Kandii World, and the true prophecy fulfilled by the pair's emergence, and Shego's Ascension. Half the Coalition had already rushed to see what the Earth offered them, as well as to assure M'Kandii Leaders that they were loyal followers who would never, ever, even under threat of death, ever stray.

The Lorwardians had actually calmed down for the first time in decades, and even the equally offensive Elzarqian were being unusually quiet of late.

Still, that left quite a few rogues out there that had yet to truly react, or show their hand.

Especially…..Him.

She couldn't help but shudder at the unbidden thought of One who actually spurned, and later defied the Great Lady. The One who had survived Communion, but in the end, he had gone quite mad.

Yet another reason that the Great Lady Herself forbade her daughters to try Communion themselves with those they might wish to share their lives. Even she was stunned when not only did she allow Communion with Lady Shego's apparent p'n'ch'ssa, but granted her direct Blood Communion with herself, rather than her mistress.

She had seen it herself, and was still stunned at how easily the primate had simply shrugged off the initial effects, and simply turned to follow her Lady. As if Lady Shego's will and call were enough to command even the powers of the Great Lady's Blood that had barely begun its work in her.

If she had been quiet at first, it was because she was waiting to see what be wrought in the young follower's flesh.

She knew of Vakaui, of course. The Great Lady's Hand had been with her for as long as Gyrzza had known of her. Which was quite some time. She knew him to be an indomitable spirit that cared only for their Lady, and his service to her. He would lay waste to whole worlds did she only grant him the right to avenge Her did some stray from her path, or will. Yet he would stand and wait patiently, without so much as a complaint did She not wish anything of him.

She wasn't quite so sure Lady Kimberly was going to be the patient sort.

In truth, she suspected Kimberly was trying to Ascend herself.

She was already stronger, faster, and far cannier than any of her race. Even Sigseetz confessed once that she had been quite inquisitive, and far from proper from the moment he had encountered the strange Lady of Sol-3, and her pet.

When she had ended up being the very Moon Goddess that reminded a host of races of an ancient prophecy by surviving alongside Lady Shego in very dramatic fashion, accomplishing virtual miracles yet again, even Gyrzza was astonished to hear that whole tale.

Here, she realized only then, was no common p'n'ch'ssa.

She turned and eyed the redhead already gifted with life from her Lady, and had to smile slightly more.

Here, she realized, looking on her unlikely sisters, was a true Lady in her own right. She could not help but wonder how she would yet Ascend. Or what she might become.

Whatever she was, Gyrzza knew, she would be Lady Shego's very peer.

Who was, as she admittedly confessed more than once, already equally astonishing in her own right.

"Okay, Wings," Lady Shego called her, as she had from the start, "You're creeping me out with that weird smirk now. What's on your mind?"

"Today, Ladies," she called them for the first time, assessing Lady Kimberly's reaction as the redhead just scowled at her as she remained in Shego's arms. "You have no administrative duties, but you do have an audience with your liaison who wished to discuss a matter she did not reveal to me as yet."

"Liaison," both of them echoed at first.

"Mistress Director, your political liaison," Gyrzza reminded her.

"Oh," they both murmured, and Kim sighed while Shego groaned.

"Let's see," Shego murmured, looking down at Kim. "She either wants to complain about something…."

"Or she thinks we can do something for her she doesn't want anyone else to know about," Kim predicted.

"I could not say," Gyrzza replied stiffly. "Your liaison is a most secretive woman. Even with me."

"She's like that with everyone," Shego smirked, and eyed Kim. "You get used to her. You okay, Kimmie?"

"I feel….a little better. I swear, I already love our little girl, Shego, but this….. This I could do without," she said.

"I'm pretty sure every soon-to-be momma feels that way."

"Ugh, no," Kim groaned when Shego started to kiss her. "Let me go brush first," she suggested.

Shego settled for kissing hre nose.

"You might as well get cleaned up, and ready to go. We can go see Bets, get her out of the way, and then spend the day deciding where we want to finally build that house you want."

"Well….."

"Not in Middleton," she growled, knowing that look.

"I wasn't….."

"Kimmie, I love you, but you are as transparent as glass sometimes," she chortled, shoving her toward the bathroom again.

Kim glowered, but it was a weak expression, and they both knew it as she moved wearily toward the bathroom.

Shego suspected that would last about another ten, maybe twenty minutes. Then her little 'moon goddess' would be buzzing with energy, and wanting to try to do everything at once again. A morning person, Kim was not.

**KP**

"You see the problem, don't you?"

"Not really," Wade declared as he looked down at Betty from the monitor.

"Neither do I," Ron declared, sitting across the room, feet crossed as he looked up from where he meditated in the corner of the office.

What unnerved Betty was he tended to levitate when he did, and he had already stunned more than a few aides who had come in that morning to see the monkey-master floating four foot in the air, surrounded by a pale blue aura.

Just now, he sit on the floor again, but he was doing something with his hands that suggested he was manipulating something only he could see with those eerily glittering eyes that the head of Global Justice knew were supposed to be hazel. Not a shimmering blue.

Betty sighed as she glanced between them.

"Look. So far, Shego and Kimberly have kept a….residence here in New York."

"They just don't like it," Wade added.

"They're talking about building a _palace!"_

"That's actually Gyrzza," Wade sighed.

"It's expected," Ron remarked, having adapted to his best friend since forever's new status at the side of the most unlikely cosmic VIP in all history. "Even I get that one."

Betty sighed again.

"Look. While they are here, they are more easily….."

"Controlled," Wade suggested with a hint of sarcasm.

"No! Watched, maybe, but we all know that no one is ever going to truly control either of those women. My point, gentlemen is that New York is the heart of all socio-economic business for the nation, and much of the world. With the U.N. gaining a new preeminence as their ambassadors now do double duty fronting and vetting our…..off world guests, we can more easily contain, and watch for any threats from any front. If they shift locations, a great deal of that guest list follows them….."

"I get it. It's politics," Ron declared, now rising to his feet, his eyes back to hazel. No blue shimmers at all. "Someone wants to keep the money and power right here where they think they get a bigger piece of the pie."

Betty resisted the urge to swear.

"Ronald. Wade. My point is we have more ready resources on tap to help contain any threat that might come up. From _any_ source. If they move….wherever, it'll be harder to monitor, or contain those threats. Especially with the steady surge of incoming guests from….out of town."

"Look, Dr. Director," Wade cut her off. "I get it. I do. But in the end, it's not about safety. Theirs, or anyone elses. I've already picked up more than a hundred messages between Wall Street and D.C. complaining over the potential negative impact if Kim shifts their 'galactic capital,' as they put it, somewhere else. Even the mayor of New York is billing the city as a 'Cosmic Times Square' these days. I think, though, we both know that this kind of fame has never been Kim's thing. She hates that kind of publicity. She hates being exploited even more."

"And then there's Shego," Ron added.

"And then there's Shego," Wade echoed. "Do you really want to tell her she can't do something. Especially when all she's done lately is do whatever Kim wants, when she wants it."

"That's also part of what concerns me. I'm still not sure about this….pregnancy. We've had a dozen cults spring up over her sudden conception, and more than a few religious fanatics all trying to claim the child belongs to their faith."

"Let me guess, you haven't bothered to tell Kim about that one," Ron asked.

"How can I? I am trying to maintain a delicate balance here, and this sudden desire to build a private home in the middle of nowhere….."

"Hardly the middle of nowhere," Kim drawled, and Betty swung around to see the woman standing there with Shego, Gyrzza, and of course Sigseetz at her side.

Betty resisted the urge to groan. Still, at least Team Go was left at home this time.

"Kimberly. I didn't expect you so soon."

"I guessed," the redhead nodded, eyeing Ron, and then spotting Wade. "Hey, Wade. You get the zoning clearance we need yet?"

"Clearance," Shego asked suspiciously.

"No problem, Kim," the young man smiled. "When they heard who it was for, they wanted to donate the land, and all building supplies."

"Kimmie," Shego asked.

"Well, it was going to be a surprise, but….. I did finally decide where I want to build," she told Shego, looking far from sickly now after she got her breakfast down, and chose to run the fourteen blocks from their penthouse to the office block near the U.N. where Betty held court for Lady Shego.

"Where," Shego scowled.

"Not Middleton," she said, pouting. "Honestly, you are so….."

"Where," Shego demanded.

"It's not actually in town. It's more like…."

"Kimmie, I swear….."

"It's outside Upperton. Fifty acres of prime, wooded acreage that was….sitting there. I thought it would be perfect. Room for a nice house, and plenty of space to let our daughter play."

Shego glowered, but eyed her as she considered that fledgling pout.

"Well, I guess it's better than Go City," she admitted, which was Hego's first suggestion when he learned they were looking to establish a permanent home. "So, what do we need?"

"Well, I asked Wade to look into zoning laws, and getting the permits and clearances we would need for….. Well, everything."

"Like I said," Wade remarked at that point as Shego looked toward the monitor where he was grinning back. "The local city council couldn't sign the permits fast enough when they heard it was for you."

"I'll bet. I suppose they think they'll be selling tickets, or something?"

"No," Wade told Shego. "I made absolutely sure they understood this was to be a private residence, and all official business would be conducted at your new headquarters being refurbished in the downtown quarter."

"Say what," Shego sputtered.

"Surprise," Kim smiled weakly.

"You….."

"I thought…. If we had our own….place of business….. We could leave all the usual people behind," she said, both of them knowing what she meant. They had waded through over a hundred people in the lobbies below all wanting to sell something, offer something, or just make some kind of connection with the new 'Team Possible.' If there was a scam, or an angle, someone out there was trying to offer it, and some of them weren't low rent. Some came from very high offices.

"Well, I do like getting away from the posers….."

"And as I was just pointing out. It leaves you very vulnerable without proper security….."

"Actually, we shall have proper security in place within the week. While there is a backlog, I have finally managed to secure Lady Shego a proper honor guard who will oversee her personal security under any and all circumstances," Gyrzza informed Betty.

"When you say proper," Shego began.

"She means the lupines, Shego," Kim told her. "Didn't you notice? They seem to serve all the Ladies that belong to the Coalition."

"Naturally. They are sworn to the Great Lady's cause, and are not only pilots, and sentries, but teachers, healers, or if necessary, soldiers."

"That sounds….great," Kim flattered when she looked at Shego. "Right? It does sound great?"

Shego considered the big wolf men, and then eyed the one-eyed agent staring hard at her.

"Why not? Sounds better than keeping all those blue-suited storm troopers around."

"I do _not_ employ storm troopers," Betty growled.

Shego only smirked.

"Of course, I will expect my public liaison to stay with us," Shego suddenly declared. "After all, you have become the face of my new….regime," Shego told her.

Betty's jaw dropped, and she just stared at the green-skinned woman.

"Are you saying….?"

"Yep, you're hired. So, what did you want to chat about today, Bets? Snap, snap. Me and Kimmie want to go over the blueprints for our new house before we get started on….everything else."

Betty slapped a hand over her face, wondering when things had gotten so far out of her control.

"I'll just leave you to chat," Wade said, hiding a smirk as he vanished when the monitor went blank.

"And I do have that mission you just handed me," Ron added. "I just hope Warwuff remembers we take captives this time," he grimaced.

"What," Kim squeaked.

"Joking," Ron laughed. "Well, mostly."

"Ron," she sputtered as he walked out, leaving her staring after him.

"Warwuff is going on missions now?"

"He seemed very interested in missions when he realized Ron was…..ah…..your enforcement arm, the way he interprets it," Betty said, and sat down heavily in the chair behind a desk loaded with paperwork.

Shego pretended to sift some of the papers, and just eyed the stacks before shaking her head, and turning away.

"So, big, green, and dimwitted is actually backing monkey-boy. Bet Bon-Bon loves that one."

"Actually….. Never mind," Betty said. "Listen, the reason I called you here….."

She froze at Gyrzza's expression, and sighed not for the first time that morning.

Or even that week.

"Or rather….requested an audience," she amended, the silver-haired woman relaxing as she nodded approvingly now, "Is not only because of my concerns over your move. My people have not found any new dissident agents on the planet, or even in the system as a whole lately."

"We knew that much," Shego nodded.

"Well, we picked up a signal from the Huqaan yesterday. They were transmitting from another nearby star system, conferring with the Elzarqian again."

"Squids," Gyrzza muttered sourly.

"What she said," Shego huffed. "What now?"

"Nothing definite, but the wording suggested something was in the works. Something big. They kept mentioning something they called….The Fallen. Mean anything to you?"

Gyrzza actually paled now, and stepped forward.

"You are certain of this? They called him so?"

"You know what they mean?"

"As should you," Gyrzza spat at Betty. "Recall what we have said of the Great Lady, and the few that have taken direct Blood Communion with her."

"Right. Kim was only the third. There was her….Hand. And then the one that went mad."

"Mad, yes. He is more than that, though. He is powerful, and driven to undermine all the Great Lady, and her Coalition stand for in the federated galaxies. It was he who formed the unlikely union of nonaligned worlds. He who aimed the Lorwardians at Earth, hoping to forestall the rise of Lady Shego. We suspect he was also involved in the attempted destruction of the M'Kandii seedling."

"So, he's a bad guy," Shego said quietly.

"One that shares our power, with none of our inhibitions," Gyrzza reminded her. "He would like to see the galaxies ripped apart by chaos. He feeds on despair, and encourages genocide. He is….truly insane."

"So, what's his plan?"

Betty eyed Shego, and stated bluntly, "To kill you."

_To Be Continued….._


	3. Chapter 3

_I do not own any Disney characters named herein, and am only borrowing them to tell a nonprofit tale meant for entertainment purposes only._

**Kim Possible: Empires**

**By LJ58**

**2**

"Are you still worrying," Shego demanded as they flew west in a private jet with six of the lupine guards already on the planet now with her.

Kim looked grim.

"You heard what Dr. Director said."

"Yeah, and how many people have been after me for how long," she huffed as Gyrzza sat silently in her own seat across the aisle. "Besides, with all our buddies of late, knocking me off won't exactly be that easy. Not that it would be even without them."

"Shego, you heard Gyrzza. He's like us. Or me, at the least. He's…..dangerous."

"Kim," Shego smiled, sliding an arm around her now. "No one is like you. Besides, whatever he is, he couldn't ever compare to you. Or me. Think about it, he got the same deal you and foxy did, right?"

"Yes," she murmured, still looking uneasy.

"Then look at it this way. You came through with flying colors. You're still the same Kim Possible you were from the start."

"But, Shego….."

_"He_ couldn't handle what you did," Shego bulled on. "That says something there. He's not all that. You are. He freaked, or whatever, and it pushed him over a cliff into nutsville. A guy like that, if he fell once, he'll fall again. Especially if he has help."

"Help," Kim frowned.

"Face it, Kimmie," she smiled at the fretting redhead. "You have always specialized in driving nutty people nuttier."

"I so do not!"

"You do. How else do you explain Dr. D?"

"I….."

Kim glared at her as Shego sniggered.

"I am so not touching that one."

"Smart girl. Look, if he was all that, where was he all this time? You ask me, he's another loopy wannabe tossing his henches around. Now, they blew the job, so he's got to come out, and put on a show, or he loses all his credibility, and his followers. Am I right?"

"If he fails to show himself more powerful than his enemies, he will lose many of those that dared the Great Lady's wrath in following him," Gyrzza agreed at Shego's telling glance her way.

"Besides, the more I hear about this guy, the more I'm thinking he is a lot like Gemini."

"Gemini? I don't get you."

"I mean…. Completely out of his gourd."

Kim gave a faint smile.

"Well, he is supposed to be insane."

"Yeah. Just what I said," Shego agreed, then eyed Gyrzza.

"_We need to talk_," she said without words, slamming that virtual command right into the silver dragoness' mind.

"_Anytime_," came the reply, though weaker, and not quite so authoritative. She was still getting used to this more assertive Lady as she matured. Still, she was her charge now, and her duty. And the Ladies had given her a new home without any cause. She would do what she could, and more, to ensure she properly expressed her appreciation for those honors.

"Now, you're looking a little peaked," Shego said, giving Kim a squeeze. "Why don't you go in the back, and rest a bit. I'll stay up here, and make sure Siggy stays out of trouble."

"Siggy hates trouble," the D'qlomite agreed from his own seat behind them. "Hates trouble."

Kim smiled. Of late, the insectoid had adopted Shego's nickname for him as his own, and seemed to take delight in using it since it had come from her. Shego was certain that only proved the bug was an idiot. Kim wasn't so sure it was that simple.

"Fine," she smiled as she rose from her seat. "Stay up here, and hatch your own plots. I could use a nap," she admitted, and didn't have to fake a yawn.

"Go rest. And stop worrying. We'll be fine. After all, you're a goddess, and I'm….me," she smirked.

Kim shook her head, but went to the rear of the jet where one of the lupines opened the door for her, and she entered the spacious bedroom in the back of the very well appointed jet that had been given them by a certain politico obviously looking for favors.

Since even Betty decided it might be best if they weren't around a mega-populated center of commerce if the big bad came looking, no one argued when Shego decided it was time to leave.

"Okay, Wings," Shego said after the door closed behind Kim. "Time to get serious. We both know Kim isn't going to be one hundred percent just now. So I need to know everything about this Fallen freak that keeps popping up. Everything."

"I think, Lady Shego, the easiest way to learn what you desire is to simply ask the Great Lady."

"You have her number?"

"Actually, _you_ do. Recall when you summoned your guardian with trans-dimensional psionic interfacing? You can communicate in the same way with the Great Lady. Only she can directly answer you, as she is not a mere male, limited by his own inferiority."

"Yeah, I get it. I'd love to hear you tell Hego that one, though."

"I believe I have already instructed your sibling several times in the lack of his gender, and character."

"And I missed that? Never mind. So, I just….think real hard, and I get her attention?"

"_You always had it_, _daughter,"_ rang in her mind as clearly as she was speaking to Gyrzza just then.

"Whoa," Shego murmured, and felt not unlike someone had just caught her stepping right out of the shower.

"_While that is an interesting image_," the Great Lady's voice echoed in her mind. "_I rather doubt that is why you contacted me_."

"_No_," Shego thought back, getting serious as she considered what might be ahead of them. "_I need to know everything about this….Fallen. We think he's coming after us now that his flunkies blew it_."

"_That is possible. Aburaak was ever an impulsive creature. One tainted by ambition_."

"_Yet you gave him that Communion dealie_?"

"_A mistake on my part. Proof, my daughter, that even I can make a mistake. Let that give you pause in your own cause, if nothing else. We are_ not_ infallible_."

"_Never doubted it. So, what is the story on this guy? Does he have some secret origin story that tells me how to stop him, or_….?"

"_Open your mind, daughter. And heed me_."

Shego felt the images pour into her mind now, and she gaped, her head reeling, as she lived a life she knew was never hers, but was strikingly real all the same.

**KP**

She met him not long after she rose to eminence.

Together with a handful of allies, she had reached out across the galaxies, and had created the start of what would become the Coalition she envisioned bringing peace and prosperity to all races. From the start, she had chosen to leave the decision of inclusion to each race they approached.

She would not be a tyrant.

She would not dictate.

That was a road that led only to abuse and devastation in the end. She had seen far too much misery created by even well-meaning souls who chose to use power as a hammer, and enforce their wills on others even in cases where it seemed well-intentioned.

Vakaui, her Hand and consort, approved. He was ever the cautious type. Even when she had first transcended, and realized the only way to ensure a lasting legacy was create and send out seedlings to create daughters after her own kind. Even then, she chose to be discreet. To let Fate itself guide each seedling. She might choose a region, but Fate would choose the daughter.

In surprisingly little time, her daughters began to rise, and they turned instinctively to her, seeking guidance, and instruction in their lives. In their roles.

She considered all that came after, and then, Vakaui suggested even he might need some help as he took a more active role in putting down the growing unrest of those that saw her rising as a major political power as a threat to the chaos and anarchy in which they thrived. After some time, she chose to accept a new conscript for direct Communion. To share her gifts with one that might help Vakaui in his own work.

From the start, Aburaak was simply different.

At the start, he said all the right things. Followed her lead without complaint. Then, when he accepted Communion, he suggested allowing him to stand before her as an emperor. A being that required obeisance, and thus forcing any that denied him to stand out, and thus be targeted for punishment.

That was his solution to the growing undercurrent of unrest in the fledgling Coalition.

She refused.

He took the refusal poorly.

He tried to assassinate her, intending to forcibly take over her position, and raise his own office over the united galaxies with a conqueror's fist.

To her shame, there was a time of great unrest. Bloody battle spread across no less than five galactic fronts before she finally drove back the Fallen, and his surprisingly numerous followers. By then, it was obvious that power had driven the once placid Aburaak quite mad. Power to him had become a club that had to be used at every chance. Defiance was something he felt should be excised, violently.

In the end, he was thrown down, many of his own followers left to turn to her, and the Coalition's membership thrived as her own dream was actually consolidated when her own stance was starkly contrasted to that of the would-be tyrant that would have squeezed the galaxies like overripe fruit in his mad quest to control them all.

In the end, though, it was Vakaui who had saved her life, and driven off the madman.

She never forgot that she owed her life to her longtime consort. Just as she had never forgotten that it was her own Gift that had driven Aburaak to insanity. Which was why in all those long years since, she never dared allow another to take direct Blood Communion with her. She even made it a policy that none of her daughters should allow their own consorts such Communion either, for fear of another madman.

And then the fledgling Lady Shego's p'n'ch'ssa strode boldly into her throne room, defended her mistress, and even struck down one of her more powerful, and accomplished warriors.

When she peered into the small primate's heart and mind, she saw a personality that was peerless. And focused. There was no doubt in her. No confusions. She lived to aid others, and her affection for her Lady was unquestionable.

Seeing her daughter through the young redhead's eyes made her make the most unlikely of all decisions. Especially when she learned that the M'Kandii world was threatened. For she saw in the threat something that few others did at the time.

The Fallen was still out there. Still moving. And he was now moving against the M'Kandii worlds. Against Lady Shego.

She saw her daughter would need help. Much as she had once needed help.

So she gave Shego Kimberly.

Because she had little doubt that Aburaak had finished hiding. He was coming back. And soon.

**KP**

"You okay," Kim asked Shego later that day, her lover having been unusually silent for some time.

"Just….mulling over some bad news I got earlier."

"More bad news," Kim asked. "What now?"

"I'm not sure you want to know," Shego admitted somberly.

"Hey, I'm pregnant, but I'm still in this with you. Besides, nothing is going to get past us, or our friends," Kim assured her. "So, spill. What is now? Not those squids again?"

"No. Worse," she finally admitted as they strolled through the forest near where Kim wanted to build their house. She was out walking because people were already swarming the area, and laying out foundations as if trying to build the entire place at once.

From what Kim had seen, too, it was going to be a house that Gyrzza was rapidly turning into a mansion, or even a genuine palace with all the changes she was 'suggesting' to ensure that Lady Shego was not humiliated by a substandard dwelling. Too bad the tweebs and Wade were all still busy, though, but they promised to look over the planned security as soon as they could.

Shego paused, and looked into the green eyes that focused on her so earnestly, and smiled.

"I just heard…. The big guy? The Fallen? He's definitely targeting Earth. Even the Lady thinks he's coming here in person after the way the flunkies blew it so spectacularly when they came after us. In fact, she is betting he's already on his way."

Kim said nothing to that.

"Does she know when," she finally asked, not doubting Shego's word.

"Nothing is certain, but from all I got from her, he strikes me as the type to slink around in shadows, and stab you in the back. Literally."

Kim shrugged.

"No big. We've faced worse."

"Worse than someone with our kind of power, and an utter disdain for all life, or even the lowest of morals?"

"Okay, so it's close, but…. I trust you. And our friends."

"Our friends," Shego echoed.

"They are yours now, too."

"Well, maybe," she frowned. "Still, I can't help but think he picked a lousy time."

"Why?"

"Princess," she fumed. "You're….."

"I swear, if you say you think this baby is slowing me down, I will slap you. Besides, it's not like I'm already nine months, or something. I'm only a few weeks….."

"Eleven weeks. And on you it looks more. You're still too thin."

"You didn't think so before."

"That was before you got pregnant. You're eating for two now," she reminded her.

Kim sighed.

"Sometimes I already do feel….fat."

"I swear…. You know, I'm really glad I'm not doing the hormone thing," she said, grabbing Kim by her shoulders, and turning her back to face her. "But I'm telling you this one time. Only this one time. You are not fat. You are not ugly. You are not anything that is bad. You are pregnant, with our baby, and you are very, very beautiful. You are more than beautiful."

Kim's eyes sparkled.

"Really," she rasped.

"Very beautiful," Shego told her. "But this is probably the only time I'm going to say it, so you had better believe me now."

"The only time," she smiled faintly.

"Probably. I'm not going to cater to your suffering self-esteem, which is usually set far too high anyway."

"What do you mean, too high," she sputtered now.

"Listen, Miss 'I can do anything,'" Shego huffed. "Even you have to slow down now. At least, a bit. Sure, you're only three months now, but that's going to increase, and I don't want you, or our baby hurt. Not by anyone, or anything. Especially by you trying something…..dangerous."

"Like what? I wouldn't….."

"Who tried to jump out of that shuttle last week?"

"We were going to be flying in holding patterns for hours," she huffed. "That was just a quick skydive. No big."

"Yes, big. The air was full of birds, and you had people all over the place that could have been in the way, and hurt you. Even if by accident. And we have already proven that not all the assassins have given up."

Shego grumbled at the more than familiar expression in those eyes as Kim set her jaw.

"I'm not doubting what you can do. Not even now. I am trying to say it is time to slow down, and take it easy. For now."

"The Great Lady made me worthy of standing beside you," Kim huffed. "Not behind you."

"Damn it, Kim….."

"My Lady," Gyrzza appeared just then, bowing to them. "We have had word."

"Word," Shego asked.

"The Fallen has appeared."

"Where," Shego demanded.

"We don't know where he went, but he was recently on Toivvaku. He appeared out of nowhere to destroy the temple raised to the Moon Goddess in honor of your visit. More than five thousand were slain in his rampage."

"My God," Kim rasped.

"We have sent aid, but we don't know where he went after the attack. Your liaison believes he is likely coming here, though. I must accept her conclusions."

Shego looked around, and grimaced.

"When can we get more lupines here?"

"Not for another four solar days," she admitted. "I suggest calling Warwuff back to aid in our security," Gyrzza told them.

"Do it," she nodded. "And we need a secure location to hold off any attack until we can get our own place up, and ready…"

"But, Lady Shego. Your palace is ready."

"Already," Shego frowned.

"Of course. Once I was assured the programming was sufficient, I allowed your servants to download the guide into a modular construction unit. Your palace is now awaiting your arrival. Of course, you may want more….personal touches, but the walls, rooms, and amenities are all ready for your arrival," she assured her.

"Already," Kim said, looking slightly pleased. "Wow. I was thinking we'd be waiting….longer….."

"Come. Best we get inside anyway. Your meteorologists, incompetent as they seem, all believe that inclement weather is coming. It's possible they might even be correct this time."

"Stranger things have happened," Shego agreed, and took Kim's arm. _"Beside_ me, Princess," she winked, and turned her back up the hill.

They were only halfway up the slope when they saw the three spires rising over the nearby horizon. As they climbed the hill, they paused to gape at the veritable palace right out of a fairy tale. One that had the look of being carved out of gold and ivory.

"It's…..beautiful," Kim murmured, staring at the huge manor built to giant proportions.

"Does it please you, too, Lady Shego," Gyrzza asked.

"Wings, as long as Kim's happy, I'm happy," Shego said, smiling at Kim's expression. "C'mon, let's go get the nickel tour."

"Of course. I shall have Warwuff summoned to oversee your security at once," she added.

"And Wade. And my brothers," Kim added as she walked up the hillock toward the great doors where two of the lupines already with them stood armed, and ready. "Call them in, too. They're almost diabolical when it comes to building domestic security systems."

Gyrzza, who had visited the Possible home, didn't argue.

"I shall make the calls at once, Lady Kimberly."

"Please, call me Kim."

"Only in private, Lady Kimberly," she said, and nodded slightly to where two shuttles had already landed, and Betty led several obvious VIPs toward them.

"Sorry for the gate-crashing, Lady Shego," Betty drawled, hating the title almost as much as Shego. "But we have some visitors who have some very important news for us."

Shego and Kim both stared at the Huqaan felines,

"We've met these guys before," Shego murmured archly. "Back on Toivvaku."

"We come in peace, Lady Shego," the leader of the tall, lanky felines bowed to her. "We have seen the error of following the Fallen, and seek your protection."

"Do you," she murmured.

"Yes. As proof, we bring a token of that peace. We know where the Fallen is currently being hosted."

"Oh, yeah," Kim asked, eyeing the furballs as they walked into the huge manor, and past the two guards that eyed the cats with cool eyes.

"Yes. He is on a small moon orbiting a planet in what you call the Andorran system. We have the coordinates, and while we cannot know his exact defenses, they have been much weakened since the warrior race has turned to you, and the Elsarqian have been so….potently undermined."

"Still a lot of jerks left out there," Shego muttered as they walked into a large, well decorated room that would have been called a sitting room in another country.

In fact, it was a screening room, with lots of defense just in case someone wanted to sound out visitors before letting them in any deeper into the house.

"The coordinates," the feline said, and reached out to offer a computer disk that was familiar to them since Shego and Kim had seen similar devices on the Ty'n'qura.

"We'd be remiss not to check this out," Betty told her blandly.

"I must agree," Gyrzza agreed.

"As do I," Kim nodded. "We should…."

"Oh, no," Shego cut in. "We'll go to New York, confab, and figure out a plan. You, Princess, will stay here, and stay safe. For all we know, this is a ploy to get you off planet, so someone can make another try at grabbing you."

"That is all too possible," Betty agreed. "No pun intended. I have to agree," she stated as the floor vibrated, and Warwuff walked into the room, barely needing to duck down since the doors and ceilings were built with a mind for a Lady's full stature.

All of the felines looked uneasy at the sight of the big Lorwardian, but he merely stared.

"The shuttle is clean, as you say here," the big warrior informed them. "No tracking devices. No homing beacon. They do not even have any hidden weapons."

"Of course not. We give you our word…."

"The word of a Huqaan is as twisted as its tail," the alien prince snorted in disdain.

"Says the backstabbing spawn of a….."

"People," Betty cut in. "We are here to make friends. Not rehash old wounds. Agreed?"

All eyes swept one another in the room, going back and forth, and then again.

"Agreed," Betty demanded.

"Agreed," Kim nodded firmly at Warwuff.

"As Princess Kimberly declares, so will Warwuff do," he said, and banged his big fist to his armored chest.

Kim didn't even smirk at the showing.

And Ron wondered why so many of his foes just fled, or gave up without a fight these days. Between his monkey power, and a nine foot alien warrior, even Dementor was laying low these days. It took a diehard lunatic to ignore the obvious writing on the wall, and still try to dare Shego's growing authority.

"We'll go check this out through our contacts in Orion," Betty said, nodding to Shego. "Meanwhile, Gyrzza and Warwuff will stay and guard Kim….."

"My primary duty is to the Lady Shego herself. Meaning no disrespect," she nodded to the redhead.

Kim only smiled.

"I get it. Don't worry. I'd rather be going myself, but…."

Shego glowered at her.

"I said I get it," she sputtered.

"Siggy will be happy to stay with Lady Kimberly," the insect informed them.

"Sorry, but I'll probably need you, too," Shego admitted. "You seem to have a….well, nose for figuring out what kind of…..trouble certain visitors might bring. So I want you with Betty to help sift any of the newcomers still coming in through the United Nations."

"Siggy hears, and obeys," he nodded to her. "Sorry, Lady Kimberly. Siggy tried."

"I know," she smiled at the D'qlomite. "Maybe next time."

Shego only rolled her eyes.

"For now, I'd like to keep the felines here," Betty suggested. "You have adequate security to keep them confined, and that way no one in New York will spot them, or guess what we're up to here," she pointed out.

"Good thinking. Warwuff can help me keep an eye on them, too. Not that I expect too much trouble out of them," she said as she studied the small group.

"We are truly here to serve, too," the feline leader again nodded to Kim.

Shego paused as they stared to leave, and looked up at the big warrior.

"I expect you to keep an eye on my girl, and keep her out of trouble, big guy. Understand?"

"Warwuff understands, and will obey, Lady Shego," he nodded curtly to her. "The vile Huqaan will not be allowed to make their mischief here."

The felines just hissed, but said nothing as they left the room, leaving the felines inside the room even as the doors closed, and locked them in the large room.

"You just be careful, too," Shego was told as Kim went with her to the door, the lupine guards studiously paying no attention to them as the pair at the door stared straight ahead, and the pair that remained with Shego stayed at her side, obviously intending to go with her.

"You know me," she grinned, leaning down to lightly kiss her.

"Exactly. Be careful. I won't be there to bail you out if there is a trap out there."

"Please," Shego huffed. "Were you not paying attention the last time?"

Kim just stared at her. Then threw her arms around her.

"Seriously, Emmie. Be careful."

Shego blushed as Betty eyed her at hearing that particular nickname, but neither woman said a word.

"We'll be fine," Shego finally huffed, and nodded to the nearby shuttle. "C'mon, guys. Looks like the tour has to wait. You can explore, and then show me around next time," Shego grinned.

"I look forward to it," she told her lover, waving as Shego led the way to Betty's shuttle.

Kim sighed, and watched them all go, leaving her alone with Warwuff.

"Does Princess Kimberly wish refreshment," Warwuff asked. "I happen to know the kitchens in these modular constructs have very good stores."

"Sure. Bring me some hot tea," she told him.

"And where would you like to be served?"

"You might as well bring enough for all of us. I want to talk to those cats again. See if they can tell me a few more things."

"As you wish. Were I you, howver, I would not offer my back to them. Huqaan are not known to be trustworthy."

Kim thought of the feline back on the tourist planet that had tried to shoot Shego in the back, and nodded. "I got that feeling myself already," she admitted, and headed for the room where the felines had been left.

Even as she walked through the door, she realized something was going on as the cats stood around a table, poking at a device she didn't recognize.

"So, then, the Great Lady's daughter has truly departed," the leader said as he turned to eye her.

"Shego just left…."

"Good," the feline smiled, and nodded.

One of the others pressed a button, and even as he did, she heard Warwuff shout, and something smashed into a wall, shaking the very walls even as Kim frowned as she felt something electrical surge around her, and even her Kimmunicator shorted out.

"Take her," the Huqaan growled, and all five cats leapt at her.

Kim jumped back, blocked a clawed fist, and barely managed to duck a blow that might have taken her head off. Or made it spin for a few days. She regained her own composure, realized Warwuff was right all along, and jumped forward this time to drive a combination kick into a cat's knees that sent it sprawling, before her fists sent it reeling to the floor.

Just as another grabbed her from behind.

Something hit the walls again, shook them violently, and then she glanced back to see something tall and dark fall over her even as the cats suddenly fell back.

She never truly felt the blow that knocked her completely unconscious with a seemingly light tap.

**KP**

"We have an incoming signal from the house," the pilot told them as they flew over the Heartland of the nation, already well on their way to the coast.

Shego smiled.

"That girl just can't…."

She trailed off, frowning as the monitor came on showing them not Kim, but Warwuff's pale, and bloody face as he sagged against the communications panel. Even through the blurry image, they could all see the point of a large, metal spear protruding from his chest.

"We…..were…..betrayed," he rasped, and fell on his face to slide down the panel, and out of the camera's view.

"Turn this thing around," Shego screamed, and all but lunged toward the cockpit as plasma fluttered around her entire body.

"Calm down. Zeke, get us back there as fast as this thing can move," Betty snapped. "You," she told the lupines who looked horrified, "Call your friends. Find out if they're all right, and what happened."

Shego stared as one of them raised a gauntlet, tapped a few buttons, but nothing happened.

"Forgive us, Lady Shego," he finally said, lowering his arm. "If our brothers do not reply, then…."

"Get us there now," Shego hissed.

Less than ten minutes later, they were back on the ground, and Shego ran toward the house to see a huge hole in one side of the wall. Near the hole, both lupine guards lay obviously dead. Missing their heads.

"They were…..bitten off," one of the lupines hissed, and pulled out his own weapon as they rushed inside the house to find Warwuff down, a spear in his broad back.

"He still lives. You should summon a healer."

Shego, meanwhile, was running for the room where the felines had been. She kicked open the warped door, and stared.

Betty walked up behind her, and gasped.

"Good….God," she rasped, staring at the broken, obviously dead felines around a device that had apparently shut down any defenses left active. To the last, the felines had had their own heads torn off, too, though a few of them were left behind.

There was no sign of Kim.

Even a quick search proved what they already feared. The redhead had been taken.

"No. No, no, no," Shego shuddered, her fists clenched so tightly that blood began to flow from her palms pierced by her own claws. "_Kimberly_," she screamed, and the sound of her anguish all but echoed in the air as it carried a surprising distance.

Or not so surprising to Gyrzza, who knew what that pain felt like, since her own mate had died waiting on her return when their planet was devastated. For she had faced the same decision that Shego had, but felt it best to delay her return until she was better able to meet her obligations after her training.

Too late did she realize that some things did not wait for schedules, or training. Too late did she realize just what it cost if you tried.

"We will find her, Lady," she said grimly as she stepped up beside her, fearlessly putting a hand on her trembling shoulder.

Shego's gaze jerked down to eye her, and never had Gyrzza seen such raw, primal hate.

"Oh, we're going to find her. We will. Then I'm going to show this poser just how far he can still fall. Get me the Nerdlinger. We have work to do," she snarled so viciously that even Gyrzza was taken back, and felt her blood run cold.

_To Be Continued….._


	4. Chapter 4

_I do not own any Disney characters named herein, and am only borrowing them to tell a nonprofit tale meant for entertainment purposes only._

**Kim Possible: Empires**

**By LJ58**

**3**

Kim woke with a faint grumble of discomfort, vaguely away she was lying on the slight, if firm mound that was fast replacing her once flat stomach.

Rolling over, she put a hand over that faint swelling, and sighed.

She was all right. When she first saw the stranger that had broke into her home, she feared the worst. Her senses had screamed all kinds of wrong to her, and just now, she wished she had gone with her gut. Again.

Never mind that some people still complained she was still too impulsive, she had the feeling….

"Finally awake, are we," came a low, manic chortle.

The growling voice was unfamiliar.

The tone was not.

She had heard such tones from far too many wannabes and posers over the years. All that began the usual rant once given a chance, and all that ended up with her boot in their butts, or faces, given a chance.

Slowly sitting up, she eyed the fifteen foot, scaly thing that looked as black as it did red, and had flashbacks to Ron's 'creature-feature' film phase.

"Whoa," she muttered, knowing Shego would definitely have had a quip for the half dragon, half monster bipedal thing that stood before her just then. "You have to be Aburaak," she declared bluntly, having heard the story from Shego once she had unwound enough to share.

"Aburaak," the pseudo-dragon scoffed. "That poor, misguided fool died long ago. I am the Fallen. I am he who shall rise. I am the true leader of our worlds, and in time, I shall prove it by feasting on the living flesh of that pretentious bitch that calls herself 'Great.'"

"Yeah, you've got issues," she muttered.

"Issues! Fool child, you have no idea what I have. I can do things even your flawed 'lady' cannot do. I know things none of you can even fathom. That pretentious slug that dares claim the M'Kandii Prophecy as her own does not even live up to her own potential. I do. I know far more than any of you of our true potential. Such as setting up a psionic 'null-field' that completely masks my presence here. So do not expect any timely rescues this time," he sneered.

"If you're so smart, why use squids to front yourself? And why did you use Lorwardians? Dimmest of the dim? Slowest of the…."

"Enough," he growled. "For a p'n'ch'ssa, you are remarkably….insolent. But, then, you are not the usual sort of consort, are you," he smirked. "Moon Goddess, indeed. Still, you have spirit. And some degree of wit. Please me, and you might just survive long enough to become one of my….."

The blackish-red beast-man paused, and leaned closer as Kim slowly rose to her feet, surreptitiously stretching as she did to test for any kinks or knots in her muscles, or joints.

"How is this possible?"

"You know, I've heard that so many times…. Never mind. What are you talking about now?"

"You….are already breeding? Yet you are that green witch's consort? Did she have you impregnated? What manner of Lady would allow her own consort to be touched by another? She must truly be….."

"One, Shego didn't _have_ me bred. I'm carrying her baby. _Our_ baby," Kim shot back, actually shoving him back.

The dark gray eyes rounded when he actually staggered back a few steps, and Kim noted those strange orbs even as she absorbed what her touch told her. Because part of her own gift had given her a degree of empathy over fauna of any world, as she was learning, and the Fallen, whatever else he was, had a surprisingly large degree of animal DNA in his system. She could actually sense it, and him.

The question now, was could she command it. And by proxy, him?

A few seconds of focused thought put paid to that hope. Still, just once, she would have liked having something go well, or even easy. Just once.

"You are daring," the creature snarled irritably as he regarded her. "The last lowborn to dare touch my person was devoured. By inches."

"Trust me," she huffed, glaring up at him. "I'd be hard to digest."

"Indeed. So, your Lady bred you? The M'Kandii bitch must have more to her than even I have heard," he smirked.

"Shego's a very good Lady, Abbie."

The beast snarled, gray puffs of smoke escaping his flaring nostrils.

So, she mused. Animal base, and a bit touchy, too.

Even she had picked up on the fact that their powers were an extension of their will. And that will did not necessarily need discipline, but it did hone the decree of power, and effectiveness you could bring to bear. In short, just like her martial studies, a clear mind was likely a far more effective weapon than one clouded by negative emotions.

And since he obviously had issues with Shego, Kim chose to channel a little Shego just then.

"What's wrong, Abbie?"

"I told you," he growled, "Aburaak is _dead_! Dead, and gone!"

"Then who are you? The Fallen," she snorted. "Looks like you're standing upright to me. Frankly, you act more like a jealous _baby brother_ than anything else."

"You act as mad as that fool bitch you favor. How is it her people have not yet realized she is as fractured as the defective seed that spawned her."

"How do you know the seed was fractured," Kim asked blandly.

"Because _I_ cracked it," he crowed. "I burst it asunder with my power, and sent it spiraling toward your star."

"Yeah, well, you slipped up, because it didn't fall there. It fell on Earth. You know? _Shego's_ Earth. Besides, Shego isn't fractured. She was always the way she is now. Always. She just has the power to back up the attitude now, thanks to you, it seems," she pressed.

On cue, he growled again.

"You should be running about now, too," Kim smirked. "When she catches up, and she will, she's not going to be too happy about what you tried to do here."

"Tried? You have no clue what I'm even doing here, fool child!"

"Really? Because you are _so_ clever? You used the Huqaan to assess our defenses under guise of a fake alliance, and then used them to plant rumors of your possible location. You then ensured where I was, and had Shego lured away with that obvious decoy scenario, and then swept in to scoop me up after your furry buddies shut down our defenses from the inside. That about right?"

"Clever. For a primate," he growled again, looking as if he would very much like to fillet her. "But that is only half my plan. As you yourself have said, by now my agents will have decoyed her off world, and while she hunts me in vain, I'll be cracking this sphere like an egg, showing all the galaxies my strength, and the vanity of the so called daughters of the Great Lady."

"Yep, issues," Kim sighed. "But you overlooked one detail in your plans," she reminded him.

"Oh," he smirked.

"Yep," Kim smiled, her body loose, relaxed, and her mind focused on her goal as she lunged forward, shouting, "_Me!_"

**KP**

"Are we live," Shego asked as Wade gave her a thumb's up.

"Transmitting by holo-cam to every world within reach of the hyper-wave transceiver. And quite a few beyond, though it will take a while for the signal to extend beyond our galaxy even with Hylorran tech."

"Good enough," Shego said, eyes narrowing as she turned to the camera.

Gyrzza merely nodded, and stood near the human technicians to ensure they did not grow alarmed, and end the transmission early. Lady Shego's plan was part daring, and part bravado, but it was the kind of thing that even she understood, and approved.

It was also, as Lady Kimberly would have said, pure Shego.

"Hello," Shego began, looking blandly into the camera. "Some of you know me. Some of you have heard of me. Some may still doubt any, or all of what you have been hearing. I am here to end your doubts. I am Shego."

She paused, and shifted, into a ten foot, scaled humanoid version of herself complete with wings that the camera tracked.

"Or you might call me Lady Shego. Daughter of the Great Lady," she said, surging up to twenty feet now, and in full dragon form that was more than crowded in the studio. "Member of the Grand Coalition, and protector of Earth, and the M'Kandii Galaxy until my daughter rises to claim her legacy."

She paused to let that sink in to any watching, and then slowly shrank down back into her own human form.

"Now, some of the Nonaligned Worlds still doubt. They still fight. They still….annoy me. Such as the Huqaan, who just played us false, invaded my home, and helped abduct my consort, friend, and bride. Mother to my daughter, and a budding Lady in her own right. I will be visiting their homeworld soon to address that ploy. _Very_ soon. Expect me," she all but growled.

Gyrzza smiled at the reaction that implied threat was likely going to be generating among the Matriarchy of the Huqaan.

"For now, though, I am more concerned with my bride, and our daughter. So any one that aids me in locating, and punishing the false savior daring to call himself the Fallen, a failed madman who is little more than a pouting child to our eyes, I will deem them ally, and friend, whatever their loyalties, and accept them so. For any that dare get in my way, and hamper my search, or aid in bringing harm to my world, my mate, or my child, I will deem you enemy. I think, by now, you know what happens to my enemies. If you don't," she snarled, "Ask the Elsarqian."

The transmission ended abruptly with that timely reminder.

They had only just learned that the Great Lady herself had visited their world recently, and while some on Earth were dismayed, that grand leader had given the squids something to occupy their too fertile minds with beyond rebellions. Their strained and depleted eco-sphere on that once watery world was even more depleted now, forcing them to focus all their efforts on survival, effectively removing their presence and influence from the galactic realms for the foreseeable future. At least, on any larger scale.

Shego nodded as the cameras went down, and then turned to Dr. Director, who was scowling disapprovingly from her chair.

A chair where two of her lupine guards had tied her down on Gyrzza's command after she tried to interrupt their Lady.

Shego only smirked, then turned back to Wade.

"What have you got?"

"As you expected, Kim's signal heads straight out of the system, and seems to be heading for someplace in the Mu'ubarle sector."

"Which, we all by now, only idiots would invade," Shego nodded, knowing by now the Chancellors used that region as an outpost in their own work. Whatever it might be, since they tended to be secretive pricks at the best in her viewpoint since learning of them, and their weird politics.

"Or, someone wanting to lay a trap," Wade agreed.

"She's still on the planet. And this poser has something planned. All right, get someone to fill in for me, and make a show of heading out to space. Meanwhile, I'm going to find my Kimmie," she said, and turned back to Betty. "So, are you in, or not, because this guy, I can promise, is playing for keeps," she said bluntly, still stunned at finding fourteen dead cats left in her home. She had little doubt it was just so they couldn't be questioned.

She was mildly surprised to find Warwuff still alive, but apparently a mere spear through his chest wasn't fatal to him, as he was healing, and healing fast thanks to a lupine healer who really was quite good. The Lorwardian prince was also beyond furious he had been attacked from behind in, to him, a very dishonorable fashion.

"I am on your side," Betty huffed. "But these kinds of displays and threats never work….!"

"They are expected," Gyrzza told her. "Because Lady Shego is not just a leader. She is The Leader. The daughter, and mother of the Great Lady's heir. Do you truly think the galaxies would respect them if Lady Shego simply sat back, and tried vain bargaining with madmen as your regional warlords still favor doing when troubled?"

Betty said nothing to that callous simplification of Terran politics.

"I've called in the boys," Shego told Betty. "I'm leaving Warwuff to play liaison, _and_ oversee repairs, and tripling our security at the house until more lupines can show. I want you to continue vetting newcomers. And every Huqaan you find is to be held for my _personal_ interrogation. Along with any other species from the Nonaligned worlds," Shego told her. "No more home visits. No more games. We do this _my_ way now."

Betty Director shivered slightly as the lupine behind her untied her as Shego's expression actually made her wonder if she weren't actually a little insane as some had been claiming.

Then again, she was still being surprised by how much the woman truly cared for Kimberly.

She stood up, slowly, and very conscious of the two seven foot lupine bipeds behind her that literally lived to serve those like Shego. An entire race, she now knew, that had literally sworn to follow the Great Lady generations ago, and still followed that oath as dutifully as their ancestors.

"I can do that," Dr. Director finally nodded. "Still, the U.N. will want more answers about this Fallen, though. So far, we've been kept in the dark, and…."

Shego snorted.

"Listen, Bets. They can whine and complain all they want. Some things are just none of their damn business. Remind them how their own whining almost cost us the planet in the first place. If that doesn't work, just tell them I said to shut up, and do their own jobs. Period. Gyrzza, let's go. We have to get rolling. Nerdlinger," she turned to Wade as he fell in beside her. "Tell me you have something to help me find where he's hiding Kimberly."

"Well, I do have an idea," he told her.

"Spill it," she demanded.

Wade looked around as they left the television station.

"I'd rather do it in privacy. Too many ears," he murmured, still uncomfortable being away from his insulated control room where he lived vicariously through the tech he constantly upgraded and perfected to keep him in touch with the world.

"Understood," she finally said. "Let's go, then. Because someone is waiting to get hurt. And I'm really wanting to oblige them," she murmured so grimly that Wade suspected Shego was seriously capable of killing just then.

Ironically, even he didn't blame her just then.

This was Kim out there, after all, and he understood just how she felt.

**KP**

Kim shrank back in the shadows, cloaked, ironically, by her own null-field, which she had instinctively tapped into after breaking free, and bolting into the darker recesses of the cavern. Not that she would ever think that freak for tipping her to trying to create such a field in the first place.

"You cannot hide from me, little monkey," the Fallen bellowed. "I thrive in darkness! I rule from shadow! Come out, now, and spare yourself needless pain."

Kim didn't make a sound as he walked right past her just four feet away.

Nine feet from an opening that she sensed led up to the surface.

Cloaked in her own psionic shadows, he didn't sense her, and even his own hyper-alert senses did not seem to detect her as he paused to sniff the air. For he still walked past her, and prowled on the far side of the cavern, growling and muttering dire threats with every step.

This guy, she realized, was the genuine, real-deal, over the cliff insane.

Not that she had any doubts after hearing him rant for the past hour of how he would destroy Shego, undermine the Great Lady, and force the galaxies to admit she wasn't omnipotent, and thus incapable of ruling them properly. The way _he_ could. That was his plan in the proverbial nutshell.

Yep. Certifiably insane.

Because even she knew you'd need a lot more than just putting down one daughter of the Great Lady to undermine the vast Coalition that had only grown, and thrived since the days when Aburaak had tried to take her place. If anything, if he succeeded, his ploy would only bring all the might of those undecided down on his head when the now united Coalition moved to avenge its own.

Nor was she forgetting the Chancellors still out there watching all of them.

She gave a silent sigh, still mindful of Aburaak's hearing as much as any of his other abilities.

Which was why she wasn't breaking for the exit when he was still, strategically, close enough to intercept if he sensed her moving.

She replayed the brief fight they had had before she blazed, and found a way to hide, and knew that while he could be taken by surprise, he was very hard to beat head-on. The guy was as strong and tough as her, maybe tougher. Even if not as precise with his own martial skill, he had more raw power. Emotion still gave him a boost even if it did cloud his reason and effectiveness at times.

Which was why even though they did seem physically matched, she was still able to put him down, briefly, and buy the time to break for cover with a few unexpected combinations of plain old Judo throws, and devastating kicks. He still recovered fast, though. That moment of surprise that gave her a brief advantage had evaporated fast. Fortunately, she had intuitively managed to access her own psionic null-field even as she had tried to bolt into the deeper caves, and that had worked to keep her safe.

So far.

Still, he was plainly hunting her. Still ensuring he stayed between her, and the only apparent way out.

Which meant she had to be smarter than him.

Considering his deviousness to date, she would have to be a lot smarter.

So, she asked herself, what would Shego do?

**KP**

Shego stared at Wade, and frowned.

"You really think that would work?"

"Well, considering that so far your abilities are still apparently growing, and only limited by your own imagination, so to speak, it stands to reason it's theoretically possible. After all, even I didn't realize you had…telepathy that could reach Hego all the way from Toivvaku."

"Trans-dimensional psionic interfacing," Gyrzza explained yet again. "It is how all daughters of the Great Lady communicate with her, and their own."

"Yes. Yes, I see," Wade nodded. "That does make sense. Which implies you could use it to reach Kim. And find out where she is," he pointed out.

Shego nodded.

"Okay. Good idea. But, if this guy is like Kimmie, even after a fashion," she added irritably, "Couldn't he….intercept my message? Figure out what we're doing?"

"That….is disturbingly possible," Gyrzza admitted after a moment.

"There has to be something else, then. Some way to find them without tipping off the freak we're about to break down his front door."

"He's unlikely to be inside a constructed domicile. He has ever favored caverns, canyons, and craggy places from all we've learned. Part of his original heritage."

"That could be valuable. If I know everything about him," Wade said as he pondered the silver dragoness' words. "I could formulate potentials that track likely hideouts, and lead us to wherever he's hiding. Maybe even tip us off to what he's planning."

"Oh, I can figure the plan easily enough," Shego sniffed. "Dupe me to into running off. Screw up things big-time here at home, then shove it in our collective faces. It's been his strategy from the start, and you'd think he would realize that all he's doing is pissing a lot of folks off."

"Right," Wade murmured, sensing Shego was very close to going ballistic herself just then. "So, Lady Gyrzza," he addressed her formally as ever, knowing you didn't press the dragoness, even if she did currently look human. "What can you tell me about this Aburaak's original heritage?"

"He is a polymorph, from a race of shifters that used their genetic fluidity to adapt and survive on a very hostile world. They were actually pre-sentient when we first encountered their race, but it was quickly learned that those that were brought to our worlds absorbed, and increased their intellects as they learned to adapt to our own ways with surprising speed."

"And yet that very fluidity might have been his undoing," Wade murmured thoughtfully. "I mean, just think. If he's as mentally fluid as he is genetically, then he would have been unstable from a mental, or emotional perspective from the start, and incapable of focusing on, or accepting _any_ manner of stability. In fact, he likely rejected any form of stability on an instinctive level, seeing it as a threat to survival, since it would have violated his very nature."

Gyrzza's jaw literally dropped.

"Young primate, you may have just solved a dilemma that has long plagued the Great Lady herself. For Aburaak seemed a very prime specimen until the day he turned on us. It could be that your reasoning explains much of that truth."

"It also means this fruitcake is a loaded gun, and he's still pointing at all of us," Shego cut in. "Especially my Kimmie," she complained. "So let's get back to the part where we find her! Fast!"

"All right. Polymorphic. You said his kind favor caves, and rocky places? What about food? Did they require certain….nourishment?"

"As one that has taken Communion, he is likely beyond the need for common nourishment…."

"But on an instinctive level, he would seek out what he once regarded as necessary," Wade pointed out. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"I cannot fault your reasoning. Their kind did favor caverns, because they seemed to favor mosses, fungi, and such spores as a primary source of proteins."

"So," Wade murmured, settling into a seat as they entered the jet that would be taking them back to Upperton, and Shego's new home/palace. "Remote caverns, large and deep enough to hide, and make casual detection unlikely, while also hosting a variety of flora he would deem suitable for his needs?"

He sighed as Shego eyed him expectantly.

"Give me a second," he said, lifting an arm with a slender gauntlet that he tapped, raising a holo-keyboard that linked him to his own systems. "This would be faster at home, but…."

"Nerdlinger," she growled.

"Got it. Four potential locations are most likely," he told her. "I wasn't sure about climate….."

"The hotter, the better," Gyrzza added.

"Alright, factoring that in, we have only two most likely locations," Wade informed them, and brought up a holographic globe.

"We rendezvous with the boys, and then move on the first location," she said, noting it was right there in the United States. "Death Valley," she murmured.

"You don't think it's possible he went to….?"

"He'd want to hide, and fast. He'd know we have surveillance tech, and satellites tracking anyone, or anything in the area that moved very far after the attack on our home," Shego pointed out. "So he'd want to get underground fast. As I recall, there are a few deep canyons, and even some caverns in that region."

"That is sound reasoning," Wade murmured, nodding at the green-skinned woman who had changed much since the first time Kim had encountered her. Then again, so had Kim.

"It makes sense," Gyrzza agreed. "And I can tell you that from experience, the Fallen does not have a very high opinion of primate species. He would not think you would calculate his moves very easily, if at all."

"Which means he'll underestimate Kimmie, too," Shego murmured.

"Goes without saying," Wade smiled now. "People have been underestimating Kim for years."

"Indeed," Gyrzza remarked blandly.

Shego managed a faint smile as she eyed the dragoness, and nodded, both of them knowing how their first encounter had gone.

"Let's collect the boys, and then go get her back," she told the dragoness.

"And end Aburaak's threat once for all," she asked suggestively.

"A girl can hope," Shego murmured, her dark eyes glittering at that name.

_To Be Continued…._


	5. Chapter 5

_I do not own any Disney characters named herein, and am only borrowing them to tell a nonprofit tale meant for entertainment purposes only._

**Kim Possible: Empires**

**By LJ58**

**4**

Kim stood balanced on the balls of her feet.

Every sense was alert, and aware.

Just a few hundred feet lay between her, and the glimmer of light that marked the exit from the cavern.

A few hundred feet, and a now mostly quiet, stalking Fallen that had apparently gotten a clue, and chosen to go silent, and dark. She didn't move. Didn't make a sound. She even focused on keeping her breathing soft, even, and controlled.

Patience.

She had to have patience.

Sure, some still accused her of being an impulsive, impatient sort that wanted to jump, and jump now.

Even she knew the value of stealth, though.

And when she needed it, she could be patient like nobody else.

There was also the sure certainty in her heart, too, that Aburaak was wrong.

Shego would come for her, and she would come soon.

She wasn't off planet, chasing her tail, as he had repeatedly mocked her earlier. She wasn't running in circles, or blundering headlong into a trap. The so-called Fallen knew nothing of her Shego if he truly thought such an obvious ploy could catch her that easily. If it could, Dr. Director would have put Shego away long ago.

More importantly, she could feel her lover. Her friend. Her mate.

She was close.

And getting closer.

She just needed to be patient.

Something stirred not far away, and she focused on nothing.

That was the secret of the null-field, as he had called it.

You focused on nothing, and so nothing detected you, because you were inhabiting a moment of nothingness. It sounded vaguely Zen to her. Or maybe something like Buddhist monks might contemplate.

The essence was, simply put, by focusing on nothing, you gave nothing to others to seize upon. No thoughts that might betray you. No use of power that might…..

Power.

She smiled.

Aburaak might have taken her usual Kimmunicator, which she was going to address eventually, but he had not taken the old one. The backup she had been carrying again out of habit. The slender band the crew of the T'n'qura had repaired for her remained on her wrist that looked like an ordinary wristwatch. The one temporarily shorted by whatever the felines had used to shut down the house's built-in security.

He looked down, and eyed the device still on her wrist. It was ninety minutes from full system reboot according to the dial. She smiled, and considered what else the Fallen had overlooked.

Even Aburaak, for all his agents must have told him, had underestimated her.

And Shego.

It wouldn't be the first time a bad guy's ego had gotten in his own way.

She had the feeling it wouldn't be the last.

So, what could she do to exploit that fact?

**KP**

"I've definitely got some weird power fluctuations coming from this region," Wade reported as Shego and Gyrzza flew over the mountainous terrain that surrounded one of the most inhospitable regions in the nation.

Team Go had been sent back to the house to guard it, and oversee repairs while a very grumpy

Warwuff complained over everything while he was tended by the lupine healers who refused to let the warrior rise while he healed from near mortal wounds. The Possible twins were supposedly on their way, too, and more than a little furious that the security had been so lax it let the saboteurs in at all.

Shego had little doubt that would not happen again. Meanwhile, the lupines were there in force now, too.

The same lupines who had shown up, belatedly, and were less than pleased to be left behind while Shego chose to take only Gyrzza with her while she went in search of Kim. She pointed out that everyone by now thought Shego was off the planet, and if they saw a large number of lupines going anywhere, they might get a little too curious as to why, and tip off the wrong people.

The Lady's new guard did not like it, but they accepted Shego's reasoning, and remained at the house.

Now, Shego listened to Wade through an earpiece that he assured her was on a frequency no one was going to tap, and was guiding her and Gyrzza to the most likely part of the infamous Death Valley where alien infiltrators might be hiding.

Still, Death Valley, they knew, had earned its grim appellation many times over throughout history. That did not keep people from daring its dangers. It did keep many from trying to casually settle, or develop the area.

The expenses were too great if you were trying to farm, build, or even just live in that unfriendly environ. Even the closest, small towns relied completely on outside transportation to bring them the resources they needed just to survive on a daily basis.

In short, it was not a place people went very often, or without reason.

It was also the closest point where someone like their quarry might think of hiding after grabbing the most famous redhead on the planet in his less than clever ploy to dupe Shego into thinking he was already gone.

Even she wouldn't have fallen for so obvious a ploy even before she realized just what being a 'Lady' meant for her, and those around her. Abbie, as she mentally found herself calling the freak, was in for some serious letdown. As well as some very serious payback.

Just as soon as she found him.

And if he had hurt so much as a hair on Kim's head…..

She growled, nostrils flaring as her wings worked to keep her airborne as her present fourteen foot humanoid form sliced easily through the air beside Gyrzza's dragon form.

"Anything," she asked the silver dragoness.

"I should ask you that," the last Kwaa-quu replied evenly.

Shego grumbled audibly, but kept flying.

A part of her was horrified that something might actually happen to the woman she loved with all her heart, which still surprised on a her daily basis. Almost as much as the fact that Kim loved her back. Another part of her was certain Kim would be strolling out to greet them any second now, and toss off a 'No big,' if asked her what had happened.

Just then, as maddening as that flippancy was at times, she would dearly love to see her. To hear her shrug off whatever she had done, or…..

"Lady," Gyrzza drew up, hovering in the air as her wings angled, and beat the currents just so.

Shego paused, following her finger, and seeing a huge, Huqaan carrier. One with at least a hundred felines all working on some kind of contraption that she knew was likely not going to be used for anything good.

"What is that thingamajig," she asked her companion as her green eyes fixed on the device that reminded her a great deal of one of Drew's old doomsday machines.

It didn't help that the three-pronged barrel was pointed down at the ground, and already glowing as the big cats fed something into the four support panels around the barrel even as others continued to work on something they were obviously still hooking into the machine.

"A desynchronizer. It'll shatter the core of your planet, _and_ fracture the globe as a whole before leaving you prey to any radiations when your atmospheric protections fail."

"In other words, they're going to try to kill my planet," she growled. "Again."

Gyrzza didn't bother to reply to the obvious.

She wouldn't have had time anyway.

"Hey, Nerdlinger, we found some invaders," she said, and then moved.

Shego instinctively swelled in size, knowing any search for Kim had to be delayed as she dove at the ground, roaring as green plasma flowed to melt the ominous weapon's core from the start, and singeing a great many cats who howled, and fled for the ship. She knew from experience that you did not give the baddies time to press that magic button.

Ever.

So she went to work, and shut their machine down hard before turning on the cats.

Some just fled into a nearby cavern.

Shego let them run.

She had a feeling the moment she spotted that big cave that she was where she needed to be. First, however, she had to take care of business. Otherwise, finding Kim would be the least of their problems.

Plasma flowed again, and the right engine of the big ship just starting to hum with life exploded, taking out part of the hull. More cats screamed, and more fled. Some more went into the same cavern. Many ran into the canyons beyond their site.

"Gyrzza," she growled, reducing her size from thirty feet to merely ten, and looking humanoid again. "I want prisoners. If they won't surrender…."

"I know how to treat Huqaan," the twelve foot silver dragoness snarled, and flung herself into the air once more after following her down. This time to give chase to the felines that didn't even waste time trying to fire at the two dragonesses.

When the last cat in her vicinity fell unconscious, Shego triggered a GJ distress beacon the harpy made her carry, and tossed it at the smoldering ship. She figured even those idiots could figure things out when they arrived, and spotted this mess.

She turned, and dropping back into her human shape and size, she walked into the gloomy cavern, and let her eyes focus as she realized her nostrils could make out the passage of the felines with little effort. They reeked. Not only of singed fur, and sweating flesh, but of fear.

She kept going, heading deeper into the cavern even as her ears heard howling complaints not too far away.

Shego strode boldly through the long cavernous tunnel, no one around to challenge her as she finally stepped into a larger cavern to find the felines to her right, looking up at a huge, looming shadow.

She stared, and saw the gleaming, milky-gray orbs of the thing that she guessed must have taken her Princess. Who she still didn't see.

Reddish black, and shaped like a truly nightmarish caricature of the dragons she had come to know, she sneered at the thing crushing a wailing feline in a monstrous hand, and drawled, "You must be Abbie. I'm not impressed."

The Fallen turned, staring incredulously at her, and flung the maimed cat aside with as little concern as a child with a no-longer-favored toy.

"Lady Shego," he growled, his massive jaws stretching into a grim rictus of a smile. "I had not anticipated this meeting just yet."

"I live to annoy people with schedules. Ask anyone," she growled, sauntering into the cavern even as her sharp eyes scanned the expanse around her, peering among the shadows for any sign of Kim. Praying she was not too late.

"So I have heard. I fail to see much in you to impress me," he sneered, looming over her from just over thirty feet in height as his red-black scales glistened strangely wetly in the shadows.

"And I've heard you're another poser, _and_ a nut job, who thinks he can take what's mine. I'm here to educate you, Abbie. Ready to get schooled?"

"You jest," he sneered. "You have not even…Ascended," he trailed off, staring as a thirty foot dragoness that suddenly rose to manifest before him.

One with hands that radiated with shimmering, cosmic energies.

"Still want to joke, poser," she growled, green steam emanating from flared nostrils as the Fallen gaped upon her.

"You…."

He turned to eye the cowering felines, and snarled.

"You did not tell me she had _Ascended_!"

"We tried, o' magnificence," a feline wailed, hating that those gray-white eyes fixed on him for answers.

The Fallen growled.

"Ascended, or not, you have not enough wit, or experience to…"

The big creature suddenly shouted in rage as something blue flashed near one massive foot, and Shego almost roared with laughter as a huge chunk of rock slammed into the outer talon of that foot without any apparent cause.

Had she not seen that flash of blue energy that sparkled just for an instant, she would have been confused, too.

But she knew Kimberly, and her toys.

She flung herself forward, slamming herself into the big creature, hands radiating raw energies she didn't hold back as her teeth, claws, and tail found, and bit, slashed, or hammered at the weirdly slick flesh of those oozing scales. No way was she giving this jerk a break. Not after all she had heard about him.

The Fallen roared as he staggered back under the suddenness of her feral charge, and even as he did, another massive outcropping of rock from a stalagmite abruptly snapped off, and was slammed into his softer belly that was exposed for a moment.

The Fallen roared in pain, and shock he rarely experienced of late, and then used brute force to shove Shego back before a right hind leg stamped down on the end of the offending rock, and shattered the brittle stone under his mass.

There was no cry of pain.

No obvious indication that anyone had been attached to it.

"About time you got here," Shego heard from her left, though, as the Fallen looked around, but still could not see Kim.

"Vile primates! Pretentious wyrms," the Fallen roared, and began to shimmer. "This is not over," he challenged, and then simply vanished like a soap bubble popping out of existence.

"Whoa. Now, _that's_ a neat trick."

Even as Shego slowly turned to look around, Kim's stealth cloak faded, and the redhead grinned up at her as she deactivated her battle suit.

"Took you long enough," Kim complained. "I thought I was going to be stuck in here."

"What happened? I thought he….?"

"He did. He grabbed me, and brought me here. He's like all the other posers, though. He likes to rant. He actually gave me the chance to break loose, and hide, after tipping me off to one of his own tricks."

"Because your little gizmo wasn't enough?"

"Not with him," she admitted. "It was still rebooting at the time, too. They used some kind of EM burst to shut down the security. Still, he's stronger than we guessed. But he's not infallible. He's a bit….scatterbrained, in fact."

"That's what your Nerdlinger already guessed. We need to compare notes," Shego told her as she shrank down, and took human form again.

The two women smiled, and then just hugged as the fearful felines, several badly injured, just stared. Not one of them tried to move on them.

"So, what do we do with the cats," Kim complained as the tall felines stared uneasily at them. "Those jerks really stabbed us in the back this time."

"More than you know. They were about to destroy the whole planet when I showed. Another few minutes would have been too late."

Both women turned to train their eyes on nearest of the felines, and not one of them didn't cringe.

"Global Justice," a familiar voice barked just then. "No one move," Will Du ordered as he, and a team of agents swept into the cavern with a platoon of heavily-armed Guardsmen behind them.

Kim only sighed.

"I would ask if he was kidding, but…."

"Yeah," Kim sighed again. "But."

"Possible," the senior agent who seemed overly smug in the fact she was now far from a threat to his standing at Global Justice these days nodded as he came over to stand near them as his men quickly shackled the felines after disarming the few that still had weapons. "I'm grateful you are unharmed."

"Really," Shego murmured, having heard of some of his complaints, and his own antics in the past.

"I couldn't begin to imagine the complications, _or_ the paperwork, were you injured during your abduction," he went on.

Both women rolled their eyes even as a medic appeared to treat the single feline that wasn't even trying to move. A moment later, the soldier looked up, and shook his head after the feline gave a single last gasp.

"Did you have to….?"

"It wasn't us," Kim cut Will off. "The Fallen was here. He…crushed him."

"With what," the medic asked, having noted the severe deformations in the feline's skeletal structure.

"His hand," Shego told him. "So be grateful you weren't here ten minutes ago. The guy has a serious attitude."

The man actually paled as he rose from where he had been trying to work on the alien.

"Lady Shego! Lady Kimberly," Gyrzza appeared just then. "I found their pride leader. You will want to listen to him."

The pair turned to the big cat the dragoness back in human form shoved to land on his hands and knees before them, and Kim noted the nearly hairless feline looked more than a little singed.

"Someone get carried away," Kim asked Shego.

"He actually tried to bite me," Gyrzza snorted. "Vile cat. He needed a lesson."

Kim sighed, but said nothing.

She looked down at the big, now much denuded feline, and asked, "Why do you guys keep following that freak?"

"Because he'll destroy our world if we don't obey him," the big cat said without looking up at her.

"Nice guy," Shego muttered.

"It sounds like he intended to do that here," Shego told him. "Any reason why I should turn you over to the nearest firing squad?"

"Let him tell you what he told me," Gyrzza told her, her expression ominous.

"Forgive us, Lady Shego, but we have no choice but to follow the heretic. More than our world is in his grasp. He holds our Supreme Matriarch…."

"Think queen," Gyrzza told Shego, who was starting to frown in confusion.

"Gotcha, wings. So, he makes a habit of kidnapping people to make them tow the line?"

"Tow…..lines?"

"Cooperate," Kim translated for the confused feline. "It is an Earth expression. He took your Matriarch to insure you cooperated. Right?"

"This is so. Without the Supreme, we….. We will cease to exist as a species."

"Can't you replace her," Shego frowned again.

"Supreme Matriarchs are not made. They are born. Our new Supreme Matriarch just reached the age of her ascension to power when the Fallen appeared, and abducted her. If she does not return to join with her consort, and produce the next queens of harvest, our race ceases to be."

"You're a hive species," Kim guessed. "Is that it?"

"By your understanding, you might call us so," the feline said irritably, but obviously sounded less than pleased to have his species simplified so. "I tell you now, did _you_ return our Supreme Matriarch, we of the Huqaan would be sworn to you."

"You would change sides just like that."

"We are not on….sides, Lady," the feline nearest the singed feline hissed. "We are compelled. Still, never before have we seen any defy the Fallen. Never before has he fled a foe, other than the Great Lady. If you are truly the Lady of Prophecy, then spare us, save our Supreme Matriarch, and we shall be yours to command."

"We swear it," every feline still in the cavern, already bound or not, said as one.

"Oh, boy," Shego sighed, eyeing the others, then looking around as Commander Du just scowled.

"Listen, you jerks quit trying to stab us in the back, quit planning against us, and I will do all I can to find your Matri…. Supreme baby-maker."

One of the felines hissed at her manner.

The singed cat only dropped to his knees, obviously weary as he was battered, and dropped his head to the stony ground.

"I accept your vow, Lady, and swear we shall follow your command."

"Great. Now, get these guys out of here, and make sure they behave," she told Du.

The soldiers easily rounded up the rest of the felines after the captives gave out some kind of call, and every Huqaan in the area came in, and literally bowed to Shego. Before giving up.

Will obviously didn't like it, but Shego was looking thoughtful again.

"What is it?"

"I need to talk to the harpy again. I just thought of something, and it's not going to be pretty if I'm right," Shego grimaced as she pulled out her own communicator Wade had built for her to use to contact anyone she needed.

"What is….?"

Shego held up a hand as Kim started to question her, frowned when she was cut off, but then spotted Dr. Director's image on the digital screen.

"Shego! That is, Lady Shego," she added, obviously spotting Gyrzza. "You found Kimberly? Good. We have five teams already approaching the…."

"I know you thought sending in guys to check out Abbie's other likely hideouts was smart, but call them back," Shego told her curtly.

"But…..?"

"Bets, listen to me. He was here. He took off, but he was here. Trust me, if your people engage, they are dead. Not hurt. _Dead._ Get them out of there. Now."

Betty paled.

"I'm sending the abort signal now. How bad….?"

"Bad enough. This guy is no joke. We need to confer. There's been….."

She paused to eye the kneeling cats that let the soldiers guide them to their own transports to carry them to a waiting cell.

"New developments," Shego told her. "And we need some brainpower. Call Nerdlinger, and every thinker you know. We need to plan."

"Do I want to know?"

"We're going to war," Shego said with an ominous glitter in her eyes.

Kim, standing next to her, had absolutely nothing to say.

_To Be Continued…_


	6. Chapter 6

_I do not own any Disney characters named herein, and am only borrowing them to tell a nonprofit tale meant for entertainment purposes only._

**Kim Possible: Empires**

**By LJ58**

**5**

"War," Betty choked, staring at the now dark screen. "With who? Why? What are you think….?"

The screen went dark, and it took a moment for the flustered agent to realize, or accept that Shego had hung up on her.

On her.

She grit her teeth, and tried not to curse. Not with Stoppable, and four apparent ambassadors just entering her office.

"Don't you bother to knock any longer?"

"I thought you'd want to meet these guys. They're from the _Nonaligned_ Worlds," Ron told her. "We intercepted their ship in Central Park where it overshot the…..Spaceport."

"It was too crowded to land, and we dared not delay in bringing our messages," the tall, gangly being that looked more like a walking weed than any creature Betty Director had yet to see stated with such earnestness she suspected it was scared to death.

Which might explain its pallor.

"Is that right?"

"Our worlds are near enough to have already heard your Lady's recent pronouncement upon the followers of the Fallen," a glittering, silicate creature that looked twice as wide as Hego said in a surprisingly lyrical tone. "Being no fools, our leaders all conferred upon the….recent developments, and chose to accept a new alliance with Lady Shego. We shall even accept the Great Lady's Coalition as our own master if she will only relent in attacking our worlds."

"We are, at heart, quite peaceful. We want no trouble," another of the four declared earnestly. It being a furry lump with squat legs.

"Not with a crazed…. That is….. _Heartsick_ Lady," the third, almost human-looking creature declared. Did humans have gills, and use special helmets to allow them to breath the recycled liquid carried in it. "Truly, you must tell your Lady we pray to the Maker for her consort's health, and wellbeing. We shall do all we can to aid her. In this, we are all most sincere!"

"Truly," the hitherto silent alien that looked more like a dwarf equine centaur quadruped who was covered in armor. "We are here for peace. Behold our empty hands," he said, holding up very big, very powerful hands that likely had a great deal of power.

She suspected his action and words had some kind of meaning to his ilk, and she nodded, and held up her own hands.

"My own hands are empty. But I speak with the authority of Lady Shego, who trusts me to help her oversee her world," Betty declared not for the first time in dealing with any who came seeking her. "If you are here for peace, you will have it. Lady Shego will honor any who speaks truthfully, and accepts her authority. Just as," she paused, deciding Shego likely had a point about not looking too weak here. "She is weary of the troublesome sort, and is ready to start _punishing_ those that think to prey upon her own."

"So we surmised, and so our leaders chose to send us. As emissaries, hostages, if need be, but especially as friends to ensure she understands our words are true, and our cause earnest."

"She will be glad to hear it," Ron nodded at them.

"Good. Good. You tell her we are friends, then? Very soon, yes," the silicate being asked.

Almost pleaded.

"The very next time I speak to her," Betty assured him, she, or it.

Which was going to be very soon if she had her way. Things were getting way out of hand. Then she remembered what else Shego had told her. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to conduct some business on behalf of the Lady. Ronald, if you'd stay a moment? We have some….developments you need to know about."

"Of course," he nodded.

"My aide will show you where you may stay, and make arrangements to treat with our regional leaders," Betty told the others as a Global Justice agent walked in, studying the small group, and gave her a look she had seen a lot of late.

One that suggested someone was seriously in over their heads.

She knew the feeling.

"We welcome your hospitality," she was told by the quadruped before following the hapless agent out of the office.

"You heard from Shego? Did she….?"

"One moment," Betty said, and turned back to the communications panel now set up near the desk where she all but ran Shego's growing empire, even if that sardonic woman didn't see it that way.

"Commander Phillips here, Dr. Director. Do you have something for….?"

"Abort the mission, Phillips. Hold back, and keep the area clear, but do _not_ engage. That is a direct order."

"But, ma'am!"

"If you see any attempts to construct any kind of devices, call in air strikes, but do not approach the target. You're not in their league, commander. Trust me, I know."

"As you say, Dr. Director. What kind of perimeter….?"

"Whatever you think best. Stay hidden, but stay on top of the region so you can identify any activity in the region. Just do not engage them. Most especially not the entity being called the Fallen."

The man didn't like it, but she sent the same message to all her teams now searching the African caves for their target.

"You think he's on Earth," Ron asked grimly.

"I know he is. Shego already has Kim back."

"Thank God," Ron sighed, looking relieved.

"Don't relax yet. She's also pretty sure the big guy is still here, and looking to crack this world like a nut before he leaves."

Ron looked beyond grim.

"Then it's a sure bet he sent those Hive creatures here at the start if that is his game."

"Along with those squids. And he was likely behind the attempt that tried to have Kim abducted on Toivvaku."

"He's not going to like having them ruin his plans so consistently," Ron mused. "If what Wade theorized is right, he's got be fuming more than Drakken ever did."

"From what I just heard, he's just as unstable as we feared," she admitted. "But even he's not what is worrying me just now."

"No?"

"No. Shego just called, and told me to call in everyone, and get ready. That, and I quote, she was going to war."

Ron frowned.

"With….who?"

"I don't know. I just know they found Kim, drove off the Fallen, or at least made him leave, but they think he's likely still close. Then she just dropped that bomb before hanging up on me."

Ron frowned.

"What did Kim say?"

"I haven't talked to her."

"Try. I'll get Bonnie to see if she can sift anything from the newcomers."

"Start with the felines in custody. Apparently, those they found at the site out there just switched sides in earnest. Seems this big bad has their queen, and Shego just promised to deliver her, in return for their cooperation."

"That's something we can use," Ron agreed. "If we can find her….."

"Ma'am, we just heard there is a fleet of Lorwardian ships entering the system," her aide rushed into the office without knocking. "They're setting up a blockade near Jupiter, and won't respond to any hails."

She groaned.

"I hope this all isn't going to blow up in our faces," Dr. Director moaned.

"If Shego is serious," Ron said. "It's possible she called them. We'd better find out before someone makes the wrong move."

"I was about to try to call Kim back," Betty nodded. "You get started on digging up whatever you can find out."

"If it's out there. We'll find it. You sure you don't need me to help going against this…..Fallen?"

"Ron, I'm not sure even you could compete on their level just now."

Ron said nothing to that.

"I'll be in touch," he said blandly, and left the office without looking back.

"Ma'am, what do we do? We have dozens of people…..our own included, all wanting to know why the Lorwardians are here."

"Give me ten minutes, and I'll make a statement. Until then, stall them," she spat at her aide.

"Even….. Even the…..others?"

"_Especially_ the others," Betty retorted, knowing her newest aide tended to fear the aliens on sight. Even the seemingly friendly ones. She glared, and waved her out.

"Wade," she barked, opening a channel. "Get me Kimberly. _Now_."

The young genius gaped at her, obviously surprised, and sputtered, "I'll try. But they've been offline of late, and….."

"Just do it. I need to clarify a few things."

"One moment," he said, and turned to work at something.

**KP**

"War," Kim frowned as they flew back toward their home at breakneck speed as people stared up at the dragons flying over their heads, some of their voices reaching them in spite of their height.

"You think the Fallen is playing," Shego grumbled, green mist shot from flared nostrils as the huge dragon snorted her contempt for her rival.

"No, but….."

"Look, Kimmie. This is one of those times when we _have_ to draw that freaking line in the sand. This guy wants our heads on a platter. One made out of what's left of Earth. I'm not going to allow that."

"Recall, he can do it. My world suffered because of our pride. My pride. Do not let the same thing happen to you, Lady Kimberly," Gyrzza told her quietly.

Kim stared up the silver dragon to their right, and frowned.

Looking down, she saw more familiar territory already as they neared their new home, and hoped things weren't too bad there. From what Shego had let slip already, it wasn't looking good. Security undermined, some of their people dead. Even the Fallen's own slain on some mad whim. It didn't make either side look very good just then.

Looking back up at Shego as the big dragon carried her, she asked, "What's your plan?"

"Remember Dementor's go at China a few years back?"

"Sure, but he wasn't really after China. He only made everyone think….. Oh," Kim murmured.

"We're going to rattle some cages. And some sabers. Very, very loudly. And while everyone is watching the show….."

"We do what," Kim asked.

"Trust me," Shego smirked. "You're going to love it."

Kim looked down as she lifted her wrist just then, and noted that Wade was finally signaling.

"Go ahead," Shego grinned when Kim actually looked up at her.

"Go, Wade."

"Glad you're all right, Kim," the young genius began. "And you will be glad to know that most of the repairs are completed already, and the boys are working with the lupines to upgrade your security so nothing else can get inside without your authorization."

"But that's not why you called," Kim asked.

"No. Dr. Director is demanding that Shego explain what she intends. Before the Lorwardians start a war right here in our own system."

"The….Lorwardians," Kim frowned, looking up at the smirking expression that looked very natural on Shego's reptilian features just then.

"She didn't tell you? Half their local fleet just parked in our back yard, and are blockading our entire system. No one can get in, or out of the system just now, and we have a lot of upset dignitaries, and merchants….."

"Tough," Shego growled. "We're at war here. Remind them that they were the ones that let Abbie get to us, and I'm still not happy. Especially when it's pretty darn obvious someone was helping get all those felines onto the planet, too. I want to know who, and how. No one is going anywhere until I do. Meanwhile, we still have to deal with the big bad himself, because it's a sure bet he's still here somewhere."

"I agree," Kim nodded. "Wade, tell Dr. Director we'll be in touch as soon as we can….put some things together. I think Shego has the right idea, though. We can't let conspirators slip past us this time, or we might just end up with worse than the Hive, or the squids."

"I'll tell her, but I doubt she's going to be happy."

"Since when is she ever," Shego huffed.

"One more thing," Kim cut in. "If the boys are still there, tell them I want to set up some tests we need to run if we're going to bring this guy down before he can pull off something new."

"I'll advise them. They're still at the house, so they should be there when you arrive."

"Good. Thanks, Wade, and…."

"We have company," Gyrrza cut in.

"Wade, why are there military jets flanking us," Kim demanded as she spotted the aircraft.

"What….? Kim, those aren't ours," he managed to exclaim just before a dozen missiles all launched at them.

"Wings," Shego shouted. "Take them out!"

**KP**

"Abbie," the low, growling voice sniggered.

"Be still," the other hissed, his very words a thunderous bellow that echoed around them.

"They mocked you. Beat you. And you _let_ them."

The looming shadow whirled around, glowering down at the captive in the cage dangling from the stony ceiling of the cage with cold, glittering eyes.

"You are dangerously close to outliving your usefulness."

"Oh, do slay me. Do," the stocky, more squat feline smiled coldly as she purred an ominous tune. "You would enrage my people beyond reason, and then none of your threats would hold them. They would come for you. You know this."

The Fallen glowered coldly, but then turned to stalk off into the shadows, muttering, "And damn themselves in the doing," though he did not sound convinced himself.

The feline only smirked.

The Fallen turned to glare back at his captive, trusting none but himself to keep the female Huquaan safe from discovery. And the Huqaans under his heel until he no longer required their witless service.

Of late, though, far too many of his pawns had been trying to rebel.

Against him.

They were actually trying to outsmart him. Defy him. Exploit him.

Not necessarily to aid that pretentious Great Lady, or her spawn.

Still…. Shego was not what he had expected.

Green, in the sense of experience, yet more powerful than anticipated. If she had even a tenth of his control over her suspected abilities, he knew she would have been unbeatable. She would likely already be at his very heels, searing his flesh with those goddess-cursed flames she should not have been able to summon. Let alone use.

How?

How did a mere, overly dense primate manage such power when even he could do so?

Was it due to the flaw in her fractured seed?

Had the damage ironically allowed her to access greater cosmic energies than her predecessors? There had to be an explanation.

The red-haired monkey masking herself as a goddess was not that great a surprise. She had been gifted with the Great Lady's own blood communion, after all, as himself. She simply surprised him by her very daring, as he had gone for so long without a direct personal challenge that he was actually stunned that so low a creature would actually dare strike him.

Yet she had.

A tiny creature that could not even yet transform, and yet when she struck him….

He fumed all the more, his fluid, inky scales shimmering and fluctuating like waves in the wind as his exoskeleton rippled and flowed like the tides. He clenched massive fists, forcing his mind and body to settle, and turned to glower anew at the feline.

"You think I am beaten," he growled, grey mist emanating from flared nostrils. "You think mere primates….? Mere females…..can best the Fallen? You overlook my power, creature. You vertebrates all overlook that the fluid ever defeats the static. Your stiffness is your undoing. Your rigid mind and body can never overcome one such as I," he crowed with ominous intent. _"Never._ As I shall soon demonstrate. Very soon now," he said with such malevolence than even the indignant feline bound in chains inside her cage had to shudder.

The Huqaan had one consolation, though. Just one.

If she could trust to an ancient prophecy than everyone seemed to have misunderstood from the start.

Because if she was right, her savior was not only rising.

She was about to cleanse the galaxy itself.

She only prayed that she, and her people, could survive the cleansing. Especially with this mad beast obviously indifferent to Life itself in its insane quest for power.

_To Be Continued…._


	7. Chapter 7

_I do not own any Disney characters named herein, and am only borrowing them to tell a nonprofit tale meant for entertainment purposes only._

**Kim Possible: Empires**

**By LJ58**

**6**

"We have company," Gyrrza cut in even as Wade and Kim spoke as the females flew homeward.

"Wade, why are there military jets flanking us," Kim demanded as she spotted the aircraft converging on them at high speed.

"What….? Kim, those aren't ours," Wade managed to exclaim just before a dozen missiles all launched, aimed directly at the pair of dragons filling the skies.

"Wings," Shego shouted, sensing the danger herself even as she swelled with size and power, caring only that Kim was vulnerable just then. "Take them out!"

"Shego, drop me," Kim shouted up at her even as she activated her battle suit.

"Are you crazy," the thirty foot dragoness shrieked at the redhead.

"Loop around, Shego," Kim shouted, and pulled free, dropping from her grasp even as over a half dozen of those missiles closed on Shego herself.

"Damn it, Princess," Shego roared, and pulled up, hovering in the air even as the redhead fell toward the ground as the missiles converged on her.

She roared, and cosmic flames of blinding emerald vaporized five of the missiles. The sixth exploded just to her left, and the shock wave sent her reeling a few feet as she glared at the jets flying past, but obviously about to swing around.

Gyrzza roared herself, gouts of flame encompassing the nearest jets to fly past her as she deftly evaded the missiles, and managed to lead the obvious heat-seekers right back to several of the very jets that had launched them.

Several parachutes blossomed in the wake of the explosions around them, but several pilots obviously did not make it.

Shego found it hard to care just then.

Kim, however, was no longer falling.

"You crazy….!"

She watched from a corner of one eye as Kim had fired a grapple, catching the starboard wing of one of the passing jets, and somehow resisted the speed and pull of the aircraft as she not only retracted the line to pull herself up onto the wing, but then smashed a powerful fist into the stabilizer, sending it floundering away from them even as she leapt into the sky again.

This time, there were no jets close to her. This time, no one was near enough for her to catch a ride. She was falling, and nothing but hard ground was beneath her.

Shego shivered, a cold knife tracing her spine even as she 'heard' Kim call for her to catch her.

She flung out both hands, simply blasting the nearest jets trying to bank around for another run, and then dove toward the redhead.

Overhead, Gyrzza was wheeling around to send gouts of flame at more missiles, setting the sky on fire as flame and thunder filled the air around them. Shego slashed out with her tail, sending another jet that flew too close literally cart wheeling through the air before it lost control, and the pilot ejected in panic to escape the floundering aircraft.

Shego just bulled past the next jet to try to attack her, smashing it to pieces as the screaming pilot fell away from his disintegrating craft. The thirty foot dragoness instinctively reached out, grabbed the man falling without a functional chute, and dove on after Kim. She caught the redhead with her free hand even as she gave a very heartfelt sigh of relief.

"Are you crazy, Princess," she roared so loud both Kim and the gaping pilot cringed from the bellow.

"Now, throw me," Kim shouted up at Shego as she pointed straight up at the only empty sky around as the last of the jets converged on them now. "Straight up!"

"Tell me you have a plan this time," Shego demanded.

"I do. Throw me!"

Shego threw her straight up.

She went flying, then, even as Shego dealt with the last jets, leaving most of the pilots to float down to Earth on their parachutes, she glowered at the pilot still in her hand as she looked up.

"What the devil?"

Kim had vanished.

"Gyrzza," she turned to the silver dragoness. "Where did Kim go?"

The Kwaa-quu dragoness frowned, and looked around.

"Did you not have her?"

Shego looked around wildly, ready to panic, when a new explosion filled the air over their heads. Just before an obviously cloaked ship shimmered into view as flames exploded out from one side as Shego stared up at the huge, rectangular ship with a blunted nose, and sweeping wings that ran most of the ship's length.

"That is a Pylsian hunting cruiser," Gyrzza spat, staring coldly at the seemingly human pilot struggling in Shego's big hand.

"The snake guys again," Shego grumbled, and looked down at the pilot even as the entrie alien ship shuddered, and leaned drunkenly to one side.

Just before a small body burst through one side, and a half dozen reptilian bodies fell around the redhead who flung herself fearlessly into the air.

"Catch," Kim shouted in both Shego's mind and ears at once.

Shego swore, and flew up to grab the entirely too impulsive redhead.

She let the others fall.

"Damn it, Princess," she swore, scooping her out of the air as she let the reptiles fall. "You're supposed to be taking care of yourself. Your pregnant, in case you've forgotten."

"I haven't forgotten," Kim frowned up at her.

"I would be more curious as to how you knew the Pylsians were here," Gyrzza said, watching the ship fall slowly toward the ground, obviously trying to right itself, but failing badly as the misfiring thrusters barely kept the nose up as it slanted toward the ground.

"I saw through the holo-mask they're using. Look at that guy," she pointed at the pilot. "Look _close."_

Shego narrowed her eyes, and apparent human suddenly shifted, and a large, reptilian creature with a writhing tail suddenly appeared in Shego's hand.

"Oh, we're going to have a long talk with you, buddy," she said, and glanced at Kim.

"Have you called the harpy?"

"Not yet. I was kind of busy knocking out their drive systems. I didn't want them going anywhere, or trying to launch more fighters."

"Good thinking," Shego agreed, descending toward the ground. "That still doesn't tell us how you knew a freaking invisible ship was over our heads."

"Logic. Those fighters had to come from somewhere, and the only place those jets weren't flying was directly overhead. I kind of figured they had to be up there somewhere."

"So you had me throw you up there…on a guess?"

Kim only grinned as the Pylsian ship impacted with the ground, and the impact sounded like a bomb, though nothing exploded, and only the hull shattered as it dug into the hard earth before sliding to a stop.

"Good thing we weren't close to any cities, or towns," Kim grimaced.

"Call in the harpy. Someone let these guys in, and I'm sick of the surprises. I want the lid clamped now."

Kim lifted her Kimmunicator, and contacted Wade even as Shego growled, her body starting to shrink even as they touched the ground, and she set Kim, and the captive pilot down before her. The Pylsian didn't even try to run.

He looked too frightened.

Especially when Gyrzza landed beside them, retaining her dragon form, and simply glared at the reptile with burning eyes.

"Wade, we have unwelcome guests. A whole ship full of them. Better have Betty scramble the local teams out there."

"The rescue team that took in the Huqaan are still in your area," Wade reported. "I'm rerouting them now," he assured her. "I take it the reports of a UFO in the area are not just you and Shego?"

"A Pylsian ship. Flying faux jets. Shego's right," Kim said, eyeing the aliens now coming out of the ship, and looking ready to line up for a frontal assault. "Someone is letting these guys through, and that means we have a ringer somewhere in our ranks. Find them, Wade. Before things really get bad."

"Already looking," Wade assured her. "General Carlyn from a local TAC base is rendezvousing with you, too. He wants your permission to confiscate the alien hardware."

Kim eyed Shego, who shrugged.

"Tell him it's his. So long as he locks up the former owners. If any of them are left by the time he arrives."

The nearest reptiles tensed at that, but they still lifted weapons.

Shego cracked her knuckles, and stepped forward.

"I just stopped the Fallen from running off with my Princess," Shego spoke up as she walked toward them. "I just found out someone was letting your freaks on my planet. Now I hear someone is putting a bounty on my Princess, and wants us dead. So, now I'm in a _really_ bad mood," she growled, the shimmering plasma around her clawed hands getting darker and darker green as it flared to surround her arms to the elbows. "So who wants to go first?"

The Pylsians in the front ranks stared hard at her, and after a long, tense moment, one threw down his weapon. Followed by another. And another.

Over half the gathering group exiting the broken ship followed their example.

Until someone gave a hissing snarl, and fired pointblank at Shego's face.

Shego's glowing right hand flashed, and the energy bolt was absorbed into the swirling energies already surrounding her.

"Okay, now I'm pissed," she growled, and lunged forward, scattering those that shrieked for surrender, and mercy, knocking them aside even as she closed on those still trying to shoot her.

"Not going to help," Kim asked, seeing Gyrzza standing nearby, simply watching.

"She doesn't need it. Besides, I am aiding her by ensuring none of this vermin seeks to run off to trouble her subjects."

Kim only nodded.

"And you? Don't you usually aid her?"

"I think she's still upset I worried her upstairs."

"Upstairs….? Ah, yes. You do cause her distress at odd times. It is obvious the bonds you share are both deep, and strong."

Kim watched the now human Shego whipping and tearing through the ranks of those trying to swarm her now as easily as the redhead once took down the usual Henches in her own day. It was like watching a beautiful, if potentially lethal ballet. She absorbed Shego's movements, watching her hands and feet as she punched, kicked, or moved just so through the invaders that obviously had little experience with their martial arts.

"I don't get to watch her very often. Not like this," Kim murmured. "She is…..beautiful."

"She is a very competent warrior," Gyrzza admitted. "Even though she does not present her so at first glance. If I had known her skill, I likely would never have challenged her that day."

"Well, you know what they say about hindsight."

"Hindsight," Gyrzza frowned.

"Ah. Well, it's…. Well, hindsight is simply looking back, which is simple, but predicting the future is never easy."

"Of course. Hindsight. Looking back. I understand."

Kim never took her eyes off Shego as she reached the last group of Pylsians. They flung down their own weapons, and dropped to their knees, faces down in the still smoldering clay where the ship had torn up the ground around them.

Even as Shego grabbed one of them that looked to be in charge judging by all the sigils on his colorful tunic, the first military helicopters began approaching their location.

Flanked by quite a few real military jets.

"Looks like the show is over," Kim murmured as Shego dragged the alien with her back toward her and Gyrzza.

"I'm guessing this is the head guy we want to question. I'm also guessing we won't get a similar offer from them like the Huqaans gave us," Shego added, not even paying attention to the reptile that dangled from her hand as he half dragged after her.

"Pylsians fight for blood and plunder. They would fight their own if they had no other opponent," Gyrzza nodded. "They do not understand honor."

The reptile near her shot a cold glare her way, but he did not move.

Even as Kim studied him, she noted the Army was arriving in force, and quite a few Air Force trucks were now pulling up, too, with quite a few armed men jumping out to surround them. An officer she recognized from the caverns joined them, and eyed the reptilians, and gave a grimace of disgust.

"These guys will slit your throats if you blink, so take no chances with them," Kim told the man as his men began to move to cuff, and herd them toward the trucks.

Even as an Air Force officer jumped from an arriving helicopter, walked over, and eyed the huge alien ship.

"We don't have anything that can move this thing," he frowned. "We may have to scavenge what we can, and then destroy it. We certainly can't leave it….."

"Allow me," Shego said, and shoved the uniformed reptile toward Gyrzza before she walked over to the rear of the smoldering ship.

Kim knew what was about to happen, even if no one else did.

She grinned as the men gaped alongside the reptiles, watching as Shego slapped glowing hands that now turned a very bright violet to the ship, just before it groaned, and began to rapidly shrink. By the time Shego stepped back, the massive ship was now the size of a toy that could fit in your hand. She picked up the ship, carried it over to the senior officer, and dropped it in his hand.

"I'll arrange to restore it for you once you have a secure place to study it," she told him. Then she turned and eyed the aliens around them.

"And any of you troublemakers give these guys any grief, and I'll shrink you down to the same size, and feed you to my _pets._ Understand?"

Most of the crew simply stood and stared, obviously overwhelmed.

A few still glared, those that were conscious, but the alien leader just stared as Shego walked back over to him, and she said very curtly, "Now, you and I area going to have a talk. For your sake, you'd better not try lying to me."

"You do not frighten me, mammal," the reptile hissed.

"No? Maybe I should tell you my pets are _Lorwardians?"_

The reptile stared with eyes that rounded briefly, but said nothing.

"Looks like our ride is here," Shego said, and saw the GJ jet that was approaching at high speed just then.

"Not going to fly the rest of the way," Kim teased as they watched the sleek, red and black jet pause overhead, hovering briefly before it began to descend.

"I'd be too tempted to drop this freak on his head," Shego grumbled, and shoved him toward the descending jet.

The pilot she had carried down earlier actually gave a sigh of relief when she turned her back on him, and left him to the military who were making short work of rounding up all the still conscious prisoners.

When the VTOL's hatch opened, Kim was actually surprised to see Bonnie in the door.

"Get in," she said ominously. "We need to talk."

"Move it," Shego growled, shoving the Pylsian forward.

The reptlie stumbled three steps, and then caught himself, suddenly lunging forward, grabbing Bonnie by the throat, and trying to pull her around to use as a shield.

Just before he was suddenly airborne, and he landed flat on his back, shrieking at the pain of having his tail flattened beneath him even as a glowing blue sword suddenly appeared at his throat, and the brunette had a humming laser weapon aimed at his face.

"Honestly, why do you guys still all think grabbing the girl is going to work? I was brushing off worse than you in high school!"

"Nice move, Bonnie," Kim grinned as Ron put the Lotus Blade away only after Shego grabbed the guy, banged his head into the bulkhead, and shoved him forward once more. Kim eyed Bonnie with a smirk, knowing she had to have learned that one from Ron. "I didn't think you were into field work, though."

"Please. Like I said, I was brushing off worse than him in high school."

Kim chuckled at that as she, Shego, and a now human Gyrzza stepped onto the aircraft.

"Ron. I take it you guys found something."

"More than you realize. Shego's little public service announcement opened up a whole new can of worms," he said. "We have whole systems coming here to surrender, or beaming back terms of surrender on a constant basis."

"So, that little dramatic show worked," Shego grinned.

"More than you know. One of those that broadcast their surrender informed us of a plan to infiltrate and undermine the planet's leadership. GJ is working with Interpol now to ensure our leaders are still our leaders. We already found over a dozen imposters."

"I thought our security…..?"

"Not everyone comes to the U.N.," Shego was told as Bonnie secured the hatch while Gyrzza now bound the Pylsian before shoving him into a seat between two cold-eyed GJ agents who had their weapons out, and were aiming them at him from both sides of his seat.

Bonnie went back to the communications panel as Ron took the co-pilot seat. Kim was surprised to see Will Du in the pilot's seat.

"So, we can't be sure of any world leaders not already checked?"

"No," Ron said.

"And we're keeping the hunt low-key so we don't tip off any other potential infiltrators. Which means we couldn't broadcast we now know they're here, or undermining our system security."

Shego nodded.

"Suddenly, all those people complaining to Bets about the Lorwardian blockade look a lot more suspicious."

"We thought so, too," Will said, lifting the ship into the air. "And I've been instructed to take you directly to New York to confer with Dr. Director on this matter."

"Not yet. First we go to our house," Kim said. "We have a few things we need to do." She glanced down at her ragged clothing once more exposed after deactivating her battle suit, and added, "Least of all, a change of clothes."

"I don't know, K," Bonnie purred, glancing over her shoulder at her from her station. "I always thought the grungy look suited you. Not that you ever had a look. Not a good one."

Kim only glared at her.

"Nice to know some things haven't changed," she muttered. "I think."

"Yep, she's legit."

Kim glared all the more.

"Again," she fumed as Bonnie and Ron shared a look.

"You have to admit, having this guy slip a ringer into your place would have been a logical move," Ron told her. "We needed to be sure after everything else we learned."

"I have orders….."

"I can always just kick the door open, and fly away," Shego told him blandly.

Will tensed, his hands tightening on the yoke, but he said nothing.

"We can…..allow for a…..slight delay. Just that, though," he added. "You need to remember…."

"Yes," Shego asked blandly, knowing Du had to have been briefed about Gyrzza by Betty.

She guessed as much when he glanced her way, but said no more.

"Hopefully it won't take long," Kim said, seemingly heedless of the tension just then. "But there are a few things we need to check, and we can't do that surrounded by…..others."

"Kimmie," Shego frowned at her now.

"Trust me," she murmured, though she again managed to project far more into Shego's mind.

"Okay, you have to teach me that one," she admitted after Kim mentally imparted the 'shielding' trick she had instinctively picked up from Aburaak.

"Actually, I'm hoping I can get you to figure out his other trick," Kim admitted, still mentally. "I'm guessing that one could be pretty handy."

Shego didn't misunderstand.

"Let's find out," she agreed.

**KP**

"This is General Bludstone," the powerful Lorwardian warrior radioed as he eyed the approaching ship that had obviously been using an escape vector to flee the Grat Ba'auu's planet. He didn't miss the fact it used a cloak most of the way out of the system, and when power finally made it drop the stealth by necessity to resist the nearby gravity giant's pull, his own ship quickly spotted the vessel that accounted for the spatial distortions they were already detecting. "Identify yourself, or prepare to be destroyed."

The small ship suddenly banked, turning to race away, and Bludstone swore.

"All ships, converge. I want that vessel."

Even as five of the big battle cruisers turned to open fire, targeting the smaller ship's engines, the vessel put on a burst of speed, and turned back toward the Lady Shego's own world.

"Sorry, General Bludstone," another warrior growled. "It moved too fast. We lost it."

"Contact Lady Shego," Bludstone snapped at one of his deck officers. "Inform the Lady that a spy attempted to flee in a T'Gorian freighter, but we stopped it. Let her know it just returned to the planet. Ask if we should pursue?"

"At once, General Bludstone," the grim female at the communications panel saluted, and turned to relay the message.

A few moments later, she turned back to him.

"General, our orders are to remain here, and ensure no one else gets in or out of the system. The Lady states that she will handle her enemies in her own time, and in her own way. We are to ensure they do not elude her."

"Good! I look forward to seeing her executions! Relay the orders to the fleet. And if those sloppy pilots allow another to escape us, _space_ them! Bludstone will not have incompetents in my battle fleet," he roared.

"Your orders are sent, General Bludstone," the woman replied with an appreciative smile of his authority. "Surely, your fleet will perform better next time."

"They had better," the tall alien growled, his eyes locked on the monitor screen, seeking a new target.

It would come, he knew. Rats always fled in the end. From what the Lady had told the prince, her world was full of rats. He would enjoy dealing with them. Especially if they were those hated cats or squids. He absolutely loathed those squids.

_To Be Continued…._


	8. Chapter 8

_I do not own any Disney characters named herein, and am only borrowing them to tell a nonprofit tale meant for entertainment purposes only._

**Kim Possible: Empires**

**By LJ58**

**7**

"Just imagine a bubble around you," Kim suggested. "One that no one can see, or even hear through. That's how I did it," she told Shego after the green-skinned woman tried for the third time without success to recreate the psionic shield Kim had stumbled across herself.

"A bubble, huh," Shego murmured, and frowned as they stood alone in the wide gym built into the mansion.

Even Gyrzza wasn't with them just then, as she was personally overseeing all the upgrades that Kim's brothers had managed, and was ensuring they were enough. Hego and the Wegos were out patrolling, and ensuring no one was trying to creep up on them while they refit the security.

Not that it would matter now. A virtual army of lupines now patrolled the mansion, and the immediate grounds, and a large fence was also going up. That, in addition to the hidden perimeter defenses that Wade, and the twins had already set up around the house. Meanwhile, Hego and the Wegos were out on the grounds, personally inspecting the entire area to ensure no surprises were left behind, or crept in before the final security check preceding full activation of their new systems.

Warwuff continued to bellow complaints from his sickbed, but he was still using his computer to stay in touch with those around him, and ensure they knew he was far from helpless. And not to be left out of things.

He considered it quite telling that Lady Shego herself had used him to call in his waiting fleet without letting her own know what was happening until the blockade was in place. Considering that Bludstone had already thwarted one treacherous viper from escaping, he knew that the Lady had been both clever, and right in her ploy.

He just wished she had not so blithely ignored those feline's treachery by allowing them sanctuary on her world. True, they were still incarcerated, but even he had heard they might be joining their Grat Ba'auu now. Still, experience taught him that you could not trust a feline. If they would betray one master, it stood to reason they would betray another. They simply had no honor.

He grinned as he felt the house shake slightly, and knew the Lady was back, and experimenting with potential defenses with her consort. He would love to be with them. He would love to see them bring down that accursed Fallen even more.

Sighing, he contented himself with keeping in touch with matters of import through his computer.

If only that one-eyed female would stop complaining to him!

Now her, he would gladly kill for Lady Shego if she continued to annoy them. She was just so….annoying.

**KP**

Ron walked back into the local GJ office, and nodded at Betty who was going over mounting reports, and even more complaints.

"The freighter was found near Denver. Empty. We still don't know who was in it, or on it. The flight logs were all blanked," he told Betty.

"The fact someone used a T'Gorian freighter at all is telling," Betty told him, dropping the file she held. "They are trusted by most of the Coalition, and a lot of the neutral systems."

"Which means either they conscripted the pilot, or duped him," Ron suggested.

"Or just stole the ship," Bonnie added as she came into the office behind Ron.

"Rockwaller," Dr. Director nodded. "I got your report earlier. You're certain that they didn't try switching Kim with a double? It would have been the ideal…..?"

"Trust me, she's real. Even if I didn't think so, Shego's certain, and besides, who else do you know that can go toe-to-toe with Greenie, and still make her look bad even now?"

"So, they're sparring again," Betty frowned, knowing Shego had been trying to stop that particular exercise since Kim _somehow_ ended up pregnant.

She still wasn't sure about that one. Mad science aside, how did two women...?

"Oh, yeah," Ron nodded. "Hopefully, they won't tear down the mansion again. But Kim seems to think that if she pushes Shego hard enough, she can make her…..learn more…..tricks. Something about beating the Fallen at his own game."

"I've yet to hear how she even got away from him."

"We didn't want _that_ in a report," Ron told her. "It's obvious now that we have leaks around us. That's why Bonnie came with us this time."

"Oh?"

Bonnie smirked, and held up a small, blinking device.

"Wade's latest. If we can't find a bug, it's not here," she said, and pressed a toggle forward.

The blinking turned red at once, and began to chirp shrilly.

"Crap," Ron said.

"That bad?"

"Nineteen….. No, Twenty-three bugs in this office alone," Bonnie said. "I thought you had your guys sweeping this place regularly?"

"I do," she said, and shook her head as she walked out of the office without a word, stalked to her aide, and grabbed her from behind her desk.

"Dr. Director? What is it," she asked anxiously as she was shoved into the office in front of Ron.

"Still got your genetic codex," she demanded.

"Dr. Direct….. Ow," the woman howled as Ron pressed a tiny box to her nearest hand. The box hummed, and then blinked green.

"Human," Ron nodded.

"But obviously incompetent, or a dupe," Betty growled. "Go home," she barked at her.

"But, Dr. Direct…."

"Now," Betty spat, and the young aide fled.

"You aren't going to question her?"

"I doubt she knows more than how to answer the damn phone," Betty complained. "But I've the feeling she was chosen just for that ineptitude since she was assigned, and not chosen. Damn it, Ronald, I got blindsided. Me! I need….."

"Dr. Director," Commander Will Du appeared just then. "I took the liberty of assembling, and clearing a new sweep team to secure your office," the man said as he walked in leading four GJ agents carrying their own gear.

"Will. Good. Get this place cleaned out now. We need to do something about the old team. They obviously….."

"They're in lockdown now, awaiting interrogation. Even our worst are not this incompetent," he added, staring at the reading on Bonnie's detector. "We also have two Pylsians in lockup, too, that we found infiltrating security. Someone is lowering, or ignoring the required genetic sweeps."

"No wonder Shego didn't want to come back here," Bonnie snorted. "You've got more leaks than the Titanic!"

Will glared at her, but said nothing as the team with him went to work, and began digging out, and shutting down the bugs.

In the end, all twenty-three devices were laid on the desk. Five of them were obviously of alien origin.

"Any ideas?"

"It's plain the usual…..diplomats don't yet trust you to oversee their interests," Will pointed out. "I see a wide variety of tech known to be used by our usual member nations in the U.N. here. I do recognize these two," he went on, singling out two of the alien devices. "They are Pylsian. I don't know the other three."

"Vet that security team again, Will. _Personally._ It stands to reason they had to know these devices were here. If they didn't just plant them themselves. Which suggests imposters, or traitors. I will tolerate neither," she spat indignantly.

"I'll begin interrogation at once. And the alien captives?"

"I'll interrogate them myself," Betty declared. "After I make a stop at the General Assembly, and state some hard truths. Ronald, would you mind staying with me?"

"I think that might be advisable. It's why Shego sent me to you."

"She sent….?"

"She guessed that if people finally realize you are using her authority now in her absence, that her enemies might decide to just target you next. I'll be sticking close from now on unless I am needed elsewhere."

"Shego guessed that?"

"Well, Kim suggested it," Bonnie smirked, "And Shego agreed."

"Right. General Assembly, and then we're going to talk to those reptiles," Betty spat.

**KP**

Kim stared at the empty room around her, and grinned.

"Perfect, you're even gone from my senses," Kim said after several hours of practice.

There wasn't a sound from Shego.

"Now, I want you to use the same…activator, and try _to…..transport_ yourself the way he does. You know, the same way the Great Lady did, too, that first time."

"And _you_ can't do that one?"

Kim stared around, but still got no indication of where Shego was despite that mental query.

"You are good. Even with the telepathy, I can't get a clue. We can definitely use that if that jerk pops back up. Although, I'm not sure I can keep my thoughts from _him_ the way you are managing just now. But, no, I can't teleport. I think it's a power issue, and you've obviously got more than I do."

"We'll work on all of that," Shego declared mentally again, and Kim frowned.

"Well, are you trying…..?"

"Trying, and failing," Shego said audibly now, popping into view just a few steps to her right.

"Then again….. Hey, what if you have to be…. You know? In dragon-form? I mean, that shape does protect you from a lot of the usual injuries. What if you need it to boost your power enough to teleport through….wherever you go?"

"We were all human when the Great Lady zapped us," Shego reminded her. "Both times."

"Exactly. But _she's_ a near omnipotent dragoness who has a lot of power and experience we don't. Isn't she," Kim asked reasonably.

"Good point," Shego agreed, and looked around. "No way I can try that in dragon form in here, though. Sure, I have room to change, but it's not like I can…"

"Try changing, and teleporting…..say, outside. Say, by the front door."

Shego nodded.

Then drew a deep breath, and grew taller and taller as the reptilian form that was coming easier and easier to her swelled before the smaller form of her redheaded lover.

"That's still kind of cool watching you do that," Kim smiled up at her.

Shego snorted, green mist rising from flared nostrils.

"Only you would think so," she grumbled in a deeper voice, though it remained her own.

"Okay. I have no idea how to clue you, but just….maybe think about…..being at the front door?"

Shego's eyes flared now, and she grumbled, then closed her eyes as she concentrated. Hard.

She opened her eyes, and looked down.

"Nothing."

"I don't know," she frowned. "Maybe…. Maybe you're trying _too_ hard," Kim suggested.

Shego's green eyes rolled.

"What, am I supposed to click my heels, and say there's no place like the front do…?"

Shego vanished.

Kim stared up at where she had been, and she was just gone.

Kim turned, ran up the hall, and headed for the door. She wasn't even there when she found Shego just walking down the receiving hall in human form again.

"Guess you can scare those lupines after all," she grinned hugely, and walked over to hug Kim.

"It worked!"

"It worked," Shego echoed.

"Do you realize…?"

"I'm starting to get it. It's _not_ about power, Princess," she frowned. "It's about will. Imagination. We only do what we _let_ ourselves do. Get it?"

"Then why couldn't I…..?"

"Maybe you had the right idea when you mentioned my dragon shape. I mean, you don't even have a tail, do you?"

"Well, no," Kim huffed. "Not sure I'm wanting one. This belly I'm growing is enough just now."

"I happen to love your belly," the green-skinned woman smiled, and gently touched that particular mound. "From what we keep hearing, though, your turn may come," Shego reminded her.

Kim frowned at that.

"Trust me, it's not that bad. From what Wings said, though, most 'daughters' can take years to….manifest. I'm the only one breaking the rules, though. Apparently, I'm still breaking them."

"Which might be good for us. Abbie was sure surprised when you went dragon, and started glowing when we were back in that cave."

"He ran, too. I think my plasma actually hurt him. It felt like…. It felt like his skin was trying to pull away from me when I grabbed him."

Kim frowned.

"It might have been," she reasoned. "From what you and Wade learned, it could be that his….real body can't tolerate intense light, or heat. And plasma….."

"I'm turbo heat and light in one when I crank it up," Shego realized. "Which means…..I can stomp him. If I can get him to stay still long enough to grab."

"Right," Kim frowned. "You can. But he's still one of the Great Lady's children, with all our power. That's what we have to beat in the end. You can chase him off, but how do we _neutralize_ him."

"Are you suggesting…?"

"I don't want to kill him. Not even him," Kim frowned. "But….."

"Kim?"

"What if we could…remove his power somehow. Remember when Aviarius took your powers?"

Shego frowned.

"Don't remind me. Besides, no mystic jewels. Remember? Hego destroyed what was left of that thing after that last fiasco."

"Granted. But since we know your power can be….pulled out…..why can't you do the same thing you did to Mego?"

"I…have the feeling it wouldn't work the same. Remember, Mego had to be willing. It was a kind of…..condition to the whole deal. Even with the other boys, it was all kind of by permission. And I kind of doubt Abbie is going to sit still, and just let me drain him of his powers."

Kim grimaced. "Yeah."

"Still…."

"What is it?"

"We already heard how that first bit of theater worked to our advantage," Shego suddenly grinned.

"Yeah?"

"So, suppose we arrange another bit of theater, and make it work for us, too."

"What do you mean," Kim asked as they returned to the gym by then to find Gyrzza now waiting on them.

"Think about it," Shego grinned. "If we can't take his power, we can take more of his _followers._ With less support, he's going to have to come out and face us sooner or later."

"In short, piss him off so much he just reacts again. The way he came after us this time," Kim pointed out.

"Exactly."

"Tell me your plan," Kim grinned.

"First, we'd better hear what Wings has to say."

"Your fleet just reported," she told her. "A T'Gorian ship was intercepted, but fled back to Earth. Your allies found it abandoned near the city of Denver."

"T'Gorian, huh," Shego murmured.

Kim sighed.

"A group of merchants who remain neutral to the conflict, and deal with everyone so long as it's purely commercial," Kim told Shego, knowing that look of confusion in her eyes by now.

"Which means…. Whoever was on that ship wasn't T'Gorian."

"I doubt it," Gryzza agreed. "They would never compromise their famed neutrality. They fear loss of profits more than death."

"So, someone was using that ship to slip in and out. Now we know how they're getting agents to the planet," Kim said. "We should find out if the T'Gorians have had any ships stolen, or hijacked of late. And from where. That might give us a clue."

"I shall advise Warwuff on this conclusion, as I must accept it is a reasonable avenue of investigation, Lady Kimberly," Gyrzza assured her.

"How is tall and grumpy doing?"

"Distressed the physician will still not let him out of the bed. and very eager to prove he can still be of service. You know Lorwardians."

"Unfortunately," Shego muttered, though she was glad they were on her side this time.

"Indeed," Gyrzza remarked. "If there is not anything else?"

"Just one more thing. Tell Wade and Bets we need to set up another broadcast. Then, we need to get that brain-trust together, and start planning how to lure Abbie into a trap of our making."

Gyrzza merely nodded, and started to leave them.

"Hold on," Shego said, suddenly eyeing the dragoness in human form.

"Yes, Lady Shego," she asked.

"I need to try something. Before I have to actually use it with Kim."

"Shego," the redhead frowned as Shego reached out, grabbed up the dragoness even as she transformed, and then both vanished.

Not before an aborted yelp from the stunned Kwaa-quu that was suddenly heard from outside the mansion.

A moment later, Kim was staring down the hall as a very smug Shego strolled back in ahead of Gyrzza, who was still looking a bit rattled as she plainly tried to regain her usual composure.

"A bit more warning would have been appreciated, Lady Shego," the silver dragoness was saying as she followed Shego back into the house. "That was most unexpected, and...rude."

Kim stared at the pair, and frowned.

"Why did you use her?"

"I wanted to make sure I could carry someone safely before I risked transporting with you. If it was ever necessary," Shego told her as she rejoined Kim.

Gyrzza scowled her way, but kept going to carry out her own errands.

"That was kind of mean, though," Kim pointed out.

"Yeah, but it was funny. You didn't see her face," Shego sniggered.

"I heard her. I don't think she's lost it like that since that first day you two met."

"Well, it was funny," Shego huffed. "Besides, I'm still not sure if it would be safe with you in your….."

"I swear, if you keep on, I'm going to _slap_ you," Kim growled. "I just went toe-to-toe with Abbie, and helped take out a Pylsian sneak attack. Does that sound like I'm helpless," Kim demanded.

Shego sighed as she closed on the redhead, wrapped her arms around her, and pulled her close.

"No. But you still scare me. You always did, Princess. Sometimes, you take too many chances. I don't want to lose you."

"You won't…."

"It's been close. Even before the weapons platform that blew up under us. Even after. You still take too many chances," Shego complained.

Kim sighed, and lay her head on Shego's shoulder.

"Shego, that one time aside, I do know my limitations. Well, most of them. I'm still relearning them now, with you. But I know what I can do, even if I don't yet know what I might be able to do later. But I'm not going anywhere, and no one is going to hurt our baby. Especially me. Trust me on that one?"

"I'm trying. Really, I am. But….."

"I know. You want to lock me up, and keep me hidden. Or something like that?"

"Do you know why I stayed on that platform," Shego told her, stroking her back.

"I already figured that one out. You loved me as much as I love you."

"That's right, screwball. But there was more to it than that. I couldn't let you die alone out there. And I knew that was going to happen. So I didn't….. I _couldn't_ live without you. I thought…. If you were willing to make that sacrifice, I didn't want to live in a world without my Princess in it. So I chose to die with you."

"But we didn't die," Kim reminded her somberly, staring up into her strangely bright eyes now.

"No. But did we know I could save us?"

"No. But you did, and that's what matters now. Because now we know that we, both of us, can help the other. Remember what the Great Lady said? I'm worthy of you now, Shego. Worthy of standing with you, and beside you, and I will never let anyone hurt you either. Not you, or our child," she said, one hand sliding down to her belly yet to do more than round suggestively.

Shego smiled faintly now, and leaned down to peck her nose.

"You were always worthy of me, Kimmie. It was me that wasn't. And you're right. I'd love to wrap you up, hide you away somewhere the world couldn't touch you, and…just keep you safe. Only…. I know that's not you. It's not us. It never will be, will it?"

"Not even close," Kim grinned impishly.

"Let's get ready, then, and go see Bets. We need to get this campaign in gear, and get rid of that freak once and for all."

"And your…..war?"

She smirked.

"I'm about to blow the neutrality pact to pieces. If this galaxy is going to be ours, then I'm going to make it work for the privilege. Or I'm turning everybody lose."

"You don't mean….?"

_"Everybody,"_ she said. "It's time to get serious, because Abbie sure is."

Kim frowned for a moment, then nodded.

"Let me talk to the tweebs a sec. I have an idea, and then I'll be ready to go."

"I'll go make sure the furballs know we're stepping up. No more talking, Kimmie. No more negotiating. These freaks are going to pick a side, and live with it."

Kim said nothing to that as she left to find her brothers.

_To Be Continued…_


	9. Chapter 9

_I do not own any Disney characters named herein, and am only borrowing them to tell a nonprofit tale meant for entertainment purposes only._

**Kim Possible: Empires**

**By LJ58**

**8**

"You cannot just declare war on the galaxy," Betty shouted at her when Shego entered her office.

After she, Kim, and Gyrzza just popped into the U.N. Plaza with Shego in dragon form, startling more than a few humans and visitors alike when she abruptly appeared, and then stormed into the offices delegated for her by the General Assembly.

It didn't help that another Pylsian was found by Kim, and Shego had literally put him through a wall in her disgust at Betty's 'inefficiency.'

The reptile was now in custody, in traction, and four other security guards had suspiciously fled the premises soon after.

Apparently, they had yet to weed out all the infiltrators.

Which was when Shego stormed her office, demanded her studio time again, and declared she had to make a formal declaration of war.

_On who_, she had reasonably queried.

_The whole freaking galaxy_, the unreasonable, supposedly ex-felon had smirked.

Cue the argument.

"Actually, she can," Kim told her, surprising her with that one, since Betty would have thought Kim would be on her side with this one.

"Kimberly….!"

"Listen, Dr. Director," Shego cut her off, surprising her by addressing her formally. "Right now, we have most of the Nonaligned worlds still holding their breaths, along with the allegedly neutral posers, and half of them are _still_ helping that loopy wannabe out there. Why? Don't care. But it occurs to me if a timely warning had more than a few worlds turning away from him, then an outright declaration of war was going to make some more of these freaks choose a side. One that _better_ be mine," she demanded hotly.

"And if they don't?"

"Then I get serious," she snarled, sounding very much like herself now. Her old self.

"When you say serious," Will Du asked, only then arriving after flying across the country at top speed after Shego decided to take her own transportation.

Kim knew Shego was making a statement as much as anything else. Let them see her still growing, and maturing as a dragoness, mother of the fated M'Kandii ruler, and she knew it would make a direct impact on anyone out there watching.

And they knew they had a lot of people on both sides watching.

She was still wondering about the Chancellors, too. Or whether the Great Lady herself might yet intervene. Still, this was their world, and their galaxy, so she might just be viewing this as one more test even if the Fallen was one of her own blunders.

"It has to be this way," Kim told her. "So long as those others out there think Shego can't, or won't take a stand…. A real stand, with consequences, they'll wait and see what happens. Or even overtly aid the Fallen. We can't take the chance one of them might tip the scales in his favor. They have to be eliminated so we can focus on taking this lunatic down."

"And how do we do that when he's supposed to be as tough as you," Betty demanded of Shego as she rose to her feet, noting that Gryzza eyed her coolly, but wasn't chastising her just then.

A part of her had to wonder why.

"Tough. Yeah," Shego smirked. "But not as smart, and _not_ indestructible. We figured it out after the fact. Abbie's afraid of me. Afraid of this," she said, and she raised one hand to light her plasma.

"But isn't he…..?"

"Unlike Wings here, or me, he's got nothing but brute strength, and a few tricks. Tricks Kim and I are catching on to already. Which puts us ahead. Only his backstabbing lackeys could still make a difference if they keep running interference for him."

"We're still weeding out other infiltrators," Betty admitted with a nod. "The Chinese finally let us into Beijing, and we found no less than a half dozen imposters in high positions of power there. North Korea still refuses to allow us access to their borders, claiming they have everything under control."

Shego snorted at that.

"Right. I visited that dirty little backwater once. They couldn't control traffic. Tell them to give our people access to hunt _bugs,_ or I'll deem them as an enemy of the _planet,_ and deal with them accordingly."

"Shego, I cannot just declare war on our own…..!"

"I said that _I_ would. Not you. Not the U.N.'s pansy little play-police. _Moi._ I'm pretty darn sure that will get their attention."

"It certainly should," Gyrzza nodded approvingly.

"I'll…..tell them."

"No. I will. Studio, Bets," Shego slipped back into her usual banter. "Now. It's time to put these freaks on alert. Especially since I'm betting Abbie is going to be watching, too."

"Considering his apparent psychological state, you could set him off."

"Good," Kim declared. "Angry, and impetuous, he's less likely to plan, or act very efficiently. Which means we gain yet another edge."

"Tell me you have a plan."

Kim glanced at Shego.

"Kimberly?"

"Sort of," she demurred.

Betty groaned.

"When you say 'sort of,'" she couldn't help but ask.

"Well, it depends on how well the….plan I've got the tweebs working on just now pans out."

"Your brothers?"

"Well, they are pretty smart."

Betty groaned again.

"Fine," she sighed after a moment. "Fine, I'll give you your studio. And I'll give North Korea your ultimatum. Then," she spat at Shego. "I'm giving you your damn job back, _queenie_," she snapped.

Kim burst into laughter as Shego sniggered.

"But, Betty," Shego cooed, actually patting her cheek, making her good eye twinge. "You're doing such a _wonderful_ job."

Betty didn't scream.

She didn't.

But she wanted to very, very badly.

"I miss the old days," she moaned as Kim and company walked out of her office, leaving her alone with Will.

"She is…..daring. Isn't she," Will remarked dryly.

"Which one," Betty grumbled, and sat down again, heavily, and eyed the video-phone on her desk.

"Are you really going to…..?"

She stabbed a button, and waited for her new, more competent aide to answer.

"Ma'am," the young man from a Irish branch of Global Justice replied.

"Sean, I need you to contact GNN again, and tell them Lady Shego requires a studio, and the special transmitters again. She's on her way now. After you do that, I want you to get me the North Korean ambassador. I believe he's still in town."

"He is, ma'am. I believe he's currently touring Wall Street."

"Just get him. If you have to send someone to shove a phone in his ear, but get him now."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, and the screen went dark.

Betty looked up at Will, and shook her head.

"I hope this one works out the way they think it will."

"You think even Shego would declare war on…..on anyone?"

"She just put a fleet of Lorwardian warriors around our own system, Will," she told him. "A _fleet._ Recall, she now calls the emperor of Lorwardia an ally."

"And she's got those feline creatures waiting to see if she can…..help them."

"Exactly. The Coalition aside, Shego is starting to build her own base. With Kimberly's standing in the Toivvakun system, they already have the foundation of a major power base, Will. If she calls for war….."

"Do I dare suggest we upgrade our own defensive posture?"

Betty drew a deep breath, and shook her head.

"I think we'd better. I'm going to advise all our allies we should crack down, and now. If we're going to stop this before it gets out of hand, we have to stand together. No more bickering. No more partisanship. If the planet doesn't unite, we may yet lose it."

"You think this Fallen could win?"

"I wasn't even thinking of him," Betty admitted.

Will had nothing to say to that.

**KP**

The cameraman gave Shego a thumb's-up, and she eyed the blinking light as Kim smiled at her.

"Greetings," the green-skinned woman said somberly as she addressed the camera, showing nothing but grim resolve on her face now. "Many of you have already heard me when I went in search of my consort. My Princess," she said, and held out a hand.

Kim walked over to stand beside her, and smiled somberly to her lover.

"Some of you heeded me, and I will not forget those who aided me. Who aided us. Just," she added quickly, "As I will not forget those who still tried to exploit my apparent distraction. As of now, I am not speaking as a member of the Coalition. This is for all those in this galaxy who hear my words. Most especially those who feign neutrality. This is _my_ planet. _My_ system. _My_ galaxy," she declared, stressing her possession with every statement. "As of now, there are _no_ Nonaligned worlds. You are either with me, or you are an enemy. As of now, if you are enemy, you are marked. I will come for you. If necessary, I will destroy you. _Completely._ Decide. Because the so-called Fallen will not distract me much longer. Then, it will be your turn to face me. So choose well. That goes for _everyone_ on this planet as well. Time is running out."

The camera went dark at Shego's signal, and someone behind one of the mix-panels declared, "Whoa!"

"Thanks, guys," Shego nodded to them with a smug, if serene expression. "I appreciate you getting this up, and running again so quickly for me," she said, embracing Kim, and leading her off the studio floor.

"So, you're really calling out….the entire galaxy," one of the producers asked, gaping at her.

"No big," Kim smiled. "We figure most of them will fold. If they haven't already."

Shego was glaring at Kim again, but finally just rolled her eyes.

"And, besides. You remember the Lorwardians? They're on our side now. Along with quite a few other guys who prefer to be on the winning side," Kim went on. "So, don't worry. Shego and I have it all under control."

They walked out of the studio, out onto the street, and Shego slowly drew a deep breath, and looked around.

"All under control, huh," she asked Kim as she signaled for the waiting limo that had carried them to the studio.

"Well, sort of," she grinned. "Besides, it's your plan. And I agree with you. That should put a fire under the indecisive, and likely Abbie, too. He doesn't strike me as the type to take a challenge well. Especially when you pretty much just called him a poser barely worthy of your time."

"I did, didn't I," Shego grinned.

"You did," Gyrzza agreed more somberly.

Shego grinned a little wider.

"You know, Kimmie, I really do hope your brothers do come up with something, because otherwise I get the feeling we're going to be fighting a running battle with this guy. He doesn't strike me as the type to stand in place too long once he starts getting hurt."

"No. He's probably not. We need to do something about that, too," she said thoughtfully. "And we still need to figure out where he's holding the Supreme Matriarch the Huqaan mentioned."

"I can guess."

"Really," Kim frowned.

"Really. Think about it. This guy doesn't like anyone. Doesn't trust anyone. Thinks _he's_ top of the heap, and no one else is close. So who would he trust to watch the most important hostage he's got left?"

Kim nodded.

"No one," she realized.

"We find his main hideout," Shego told her. "And we find the 'cat queen.'"

"I'll call Wade."

"Already put him on it," she admitted as their car finally arrived, the traffic having been growing thicker since it became known that Shego was back in the city.

"Oh. Well, that's smart. If he can narrow down the field, we can find her while we lure him out to… That's it," she realized, slapping herself in the side of the head. "How could we be so dumb?"

"What?"

"Well, duh," Kim asked. "Have we even talked to the cats since they were taken in? Why don't we just ask them where the big bad is holed up? They're bound to know. Which means their queen is going to be someplace close. We just have to draw him out, and get someone in to free her while we deal with Abbie."

"We," Kim was asked as they all climbed into the car.

"It does sound like a good strategy," Gyrzza agreed as she settled into the car, closing the door as the driver pulled out into traffic.

They didn't make two blocks when the entire car exploded with enough force to take out most of the block.

**KP**

"Damned idiots," Betty Director complained as she hung up the phone after a useless argument with the still combative Korean ambassador. He had apparently not yet seen Shego's very dramatic broadcast that even made her worry.

Did those idiots actually think a few dirty nukes might actually make Shego back off? If anything, she'd be more likely to set them off in their own capital, and laugh doing it. From all she had seen and heard since those women's return, it was fast becoming obvious that it would take a lot more than mere nuclear weapons to stop her now.

She wasn't entirely sure they knew of anything that could stop her.

She grimaced, realizing that applied to the Fallen out there, too, which made Earth Ground Zero for a battle that might yet yield no winners. Only losers.

Shego seemed to believe he was still on the planet, though, and still trying to destroy them.

Considering how much Shego irked her at times, she could bet this Fallen was beyond indignant over her antics just now. Even if she thought that her plasma gave her the edge, that didn't mean the creature would stand still, and give her a chance to use it.

So what would he do?

Anything he wanted, she realized grimly.

She was still considering what to do about the Korean question when she heard the near-distant explosion.

Rushing to her window, she gaped when she saw the small mushroom cloud rising over a block not far away. Just about where the studio was, she realized.

"Crap," she thought, and rushed to the communications panel again, wondering what was going on now.

"Sean, we just had a major explosion over near the GNN studios. Find out what happened. Now!"

"Yes, ma'am. We have a team in the area covering Shego, so….."

The man trailed off, and she stared at the man frowning as he tapped something on his own computer as he suddenly sat up, and stared hard.

"Sean?"

"Dr. Director," he rasped. "Someone just blew up Shego's limo."

"Oh, hell," she moaned, sagging back in her chair. "We're in for it now. Have all available teams and rescue services converge now."

**KP**

Shego literally roared as she rose up, and up, and up out of the flames even as the car self-destructed, her dragon form manifesting instinctively as she held Kim close to her in both arms.

Beside her, Gryzza's smaller form was once more back in her own twelve foot reptilian form, her silver scales iridescent in the fiery wreckage around them.

"Kim," she hissed, looking down at the body curled into her big hands. "Are you…..?'

"I'm fine," Kim smiled up at her, her clothes shredded, but her flesh untouched. "It only tickled."

"Tickled," Shego choked. "Oh, God, I was so afraid….."

"I guess I'm tougher than either of us thought. Now. Even without armored scales," she said, sitting up in Shego's hands as the people around her screamed, and the injured cried for help.

Quite a few bodies, however, weren't moving. Their driver among them.

"Shego….. We have to help," Kim said as she looked down, and realized the extent of the damage around them.

"We will, Kimberly," She murmured, shrinking down after stepping out of the still flaming wreckage.

Kim, meanwhile, activated her battle suit simply to cover her almost naked body since her clothes were literally scorched rags just then.

"Shall I extinguish the flames, Lady," Gyrzza asked somberly as she looked around at the small fires scattered around them.

"Do it, Wings," she said. "You, errand boy," she shouted at one of the local GJ agents who had run up to check on an injured civilian. "You call help?"

"Fire and rescue is on the way now," he nodded. "Are you….?"

"We're fine. Your buddy in the driver's seat is history, though. Tell Bets I want to know who. Nothing else. Just _who._ Understand?"

"I'll inform her. Considering the Korean belligerence of late, though, it could have been them. Or…..any one of a dozen other groups all protesting your…..ah, rise."

"Find out who," Shego growled, and not person on the street just then didn't hear the ominous tone of her voice as she turned to see Gyrzza stretching out her hands, and willing the flames to come to her, effectively extinguishing them. "I'll tend the rest," she growled as she stood there glaring at the destruction around them.

"That's it," Kim said, watching her. "That's it."

"Kim," Shego frowned.

"Don't you see, Shego," she told her as she watched Gyrzza. "I think I know how we can beat the Fallen. We just have to get you close to him."

"I thought we already figured that part out."

"Well, I've got another idea," she grinned as she watched Gyrzza, her body now wreathed in the collected flame, who then shot it high into the sky, which immediately dissipated in harmless tendrils of fading energy.

"All right, let's go talk to the furballs. The cats," Shego said. "Then we will figure out if you really do have a plan."

"Then?"

"First, we show these clowns we mean business," Kim was told.

_To Be Continued…_


	10. Chapter 10

_I do not own any Disney characters named herein, and am only borrowing them to tell a nonprofit tale meant for entertainment purposes only._

**Kim Possible: Empires**

**By LJ58**

**9**

The Fallen glowered as he absorbed the Terran transmissions, and heard that witless female babbling about war.

As she could understood such things.

He had sent thousands upon thousands to the battlefield in his time. All to die for his glory.

What was she but a petty pretender to a throne she could never sit?

The cat was quiet now, sitting in her cage, and glowering at the shadows around them. He mused darkly on his plans, but had to consider that the female in question might yet show up. When she did, he needed to distract her. To divert her long enough for his plans to have a chance to not only succeed, but undermine that willful primate who never should have been survived.

Let alone Ascended.

He had not felt power like hers since the last time he had faced the Great Lady herself!

Yet, if as he feared, that willful creature wasn't even using half her potential?

How? How could it be that the unworthy spawn of a fractured seed should manifest so powerfully?

Even he did not share such power. Even he, who had taken direct Blood Communion with the Great Lady herself had never evidenced such raw might.

He was powerful.

He was clever.

Yet never once had he managed to develop such raw might.

It was…..unnatural.

The Matriarch eyed the silent shadow looming over her, and stared hard at the other shadows moving around them.

She knew what they were doing.

She knew what they planned.

The same plans, she had already learned, that waited for her own world after the Fallen declared her species had failed him.

She had already noticed that in the end, he declared all were failures in his eyes. She suspected this mad beast would not be content until every planet in the Cosmos was a dead husk. How, she wondered, he hoped to rule a lifeless universe was beyond her. Her only true concern was her own world. And her own people.

She was ready to bargain with the Great Lady herself if she could manage that.

If only she could reach her.

**KP**

Shego broke into the Korean embassy, ignoring the guards she batted away like children, and glowering at the men that actually tried to shoot her.

A few plasma balls sent the morons running, and she kept smashing through doors, not even trying to open them, as she headed for the private offices where Kim Dun Whatever was currently hiding at last report.

The bomb was Korean. As in North Korean. The Premier had apparently been replaced by a Pylsian imposter who had ordered the attack under cover of the diplomatic visit. He had to be pretty dim if he thought a simple bomb was going to take her out.

Shego didn't care, though. What she cared about was Kim. And she had been terrified she had been too late to protect her this time when she first wrapped her arms around her pale, seemingly vulnerable body as that car had gone up in explosive fury.

Kim and Gyrzza walked behind in her wake, not doing anything, just eyeing the chaos that was created by a very angry Shego who literally bulled through anything, and anyone in her way. It had taken all of ten minutes to figure out the bomb was homegrown. Wade took less than a minute to analyze it, and trace the components.

Traffic cams in the area easily spotted the Korean agent who crept up behind the waiting limo, and slid something up under the frame as everyone else simply stared at Shego and Kim as they emerged from the studio.

The same traffic cam was also used to view the man watching from a discreet distance, remotely triggering the explosive only after Shego was inside the car, and driving away.

That was enough for Shego.

She stormed the embassy.

It spoke to her own state-of-mind that Dr. Director didn't even try to complain as she left the scene to find the idiot who had carried out such an idiotic order.

Smashing through one last door, she stared at the very small man cowering behind a huge, marble desk, flanked by two burly guards. The guards took one look at her almost literally smoldering eyes, and flung down their weapons, bolting from the room.

"Smart guys," she said with so chilling a tone, the man behind the desk whimpered.

"I guess you think you're clever?"

The man gaping at her with hugely rounded eyes behind thick glasses said nothing.

"I suppose you think you're a hero of some kind?"

He started babbling something Shego didn't understand, and didn't care about as she simply grabbed the corner of the desk between them, and flung it aside. The desk went flying, smashing into the wall with enough force to crack the paneling, and almost penetrate the wall.

The diplomat stared in horror at her as she walked up to him, and grabbed him by the collar.

"You really think you can blow me up, and get away with it? I didn't tolerate that kind of nonsense before. I sure won't do it now."

She lifted the man up in her hands, then jumped right out through the nearby window.

Even as she smashed through the pane, taking half the wall with her, and not too careful about shielding his body, she was already swelling into dragon form. Even as her thirty foot form manifested, the diplomat now a toy in her hands, she simply blinked out of existence.

"I do believe your Lady's subjects are about to understand her ire," Gyrzza predicted.

Even Kim wasn't sure of Shego's plans, but she found it hard to sympathize just then with dozens killed on the crowded streets, and well over that many injured, or traumatized after that powerful bomb had gone off. Kim was still stunned she had managed to shrug off that blast as easily as she had, too, but even she knew if she had been anyone else, she would have been dead, too.

Her, and her baby.

And Shego had to know that.

"Well," Shego demanded, standing back in human form below them now, having just appeared once more outside the embassy. "Are you coming, Princess?"

She grinned, and simply jumped down the three stories to land in a low crouch in front of her as Gyrzza chose to fly down.

"Don't do that again," Shego hissed. "What if you…..?"

"C'mon. We both know I'm getting stronger, and tougher. That was nothing," Kim smiled. "So, what did you do with the moron?"

"I'll tell you at the U.N., when I brief the rest of the morons. Meanwhile, my little temper-tantrum should make the rest of these clowns take notice, and start cooperating. I hope," she muttered sourly.

"Well, you are talking about politicians," Kim reminded her.

"Doy," was the green-skinned woman's only reply.

**KP**

**Five Minutes Earlier…**

The diplomat screamed as they appeared on the bridge of General Bludstone's command ship.

The Lordwardian gaped at the dragoness before him, but he had seen her stand before the emperor, and had seen her fight in the arena. He wasn't too startled. He was, however, confused when the Lady dropped a tiny primate in front of him.

"New orders, general. This…..slug is to be delivered to the Coalition's prison planet at your earliest convenience. I'll consider his sentence later."

"His charge, Lady Shego," Bludstone asked, eyeing the tiny male, and wondering what he could have possibly done to annoy one such as the Grat Ba'auu.

"Attempted assassination of my person, and my Princess," she growled.

"Ah, so a fool," the warrior declared, sneering down at the cowering primate.

"Oh, yeah," Shego growled as the man just stared up at them, not understanding a single word. "Meanwhile, I want you to relay orders to your emperor, and the rest of the fleet. Unless they are surrendering, all Nonaligned worlds are now deemed enemies of the M'Kandii Galaxy, and are to be treated accordingly. If they will not yield, or surrender….."

Shego stared as the big warrior eyed her.

"Do whatever you have to do," she growled.

The warrior smiled. "That, I can do, Lady," he promised, pounding a big fist to his chest in salute.

"Good. Tell whatever warden gets that thing I'll be in touch. I expect him to live to suffer, though. A lot," she added, and disappeared without a trace.

"The emperor was wise to join our cause to the Lady Shego," one of his warriors said, his tone filled with awe. "Surely, she _is_ the Grat Ba'auu."

"That," Bludstone nodded, "Was obvious from the start."

**KP**

"So, where now?"

"After yelling at those morons," Shego growled as the left the U.N., "I really need to calm down, and blow off some steam before I do anything else," she spat.

Kim eyed her as the five GJ agents, and four lupines with them simply stood waiting as they paused on the sidewalk outside the Plaza. The U.N. had been very argumentative, until they heard that the Prison Planet Mongo awaited anyone that dared defy the Lady Shego's rule, or authority. Lady Gyrzza had then informed them she knew the warden. A very merciless man who was given to following the letter of intergalactic law to the last period.

"Okay, Lady Gyrzza," Kim said, turning to her. "Take two of our friends," she nodded at their current honor guard, "And go find where they quarantined the Huqaan. You know what we need to know, so question them, and remind them it is in their best interests to cooperate."

"As you wish, Lady Kimberly."

"Shego, let's go home. As you said. You need to calm down, and we need to talk. I need to work out my idea about taking down Abbie. We can do that at home just as well as anywhere. And I know exactly what you need to let off some steam," she smiled.

Shego eyed her.

"What are you thinking now, Kimmie," Shego asked, some of her teasing manner back in evidence as she eyed the earnest face looking up at her.

"Take us home, Lady," Kim smiled. "And you'll find out."

Shego transformed, scooped up Kim, and her remaining guards, and then vanished before the gaping eyes of those watching. No one doubted the casual display of power wasn't a message in itself.

**KP**

"We have a new player," Will Du said as he shoved into the office, pushing a burly, most humanoid slug-like creature forward who looked as he/she/or it would rather be anywhere else. "He was replacing the American Secretary of Defense, and trying to authorize a strike on all our new spaceports. With nukes."

"So, not one of the very bright types, then," Dr. Director said as she eyed the creature that seemed bulky in its containment suit, but hardly muscular.

Two large, gaping eyes at the end of short stalks blinked slowly, then fixed on her.

"Better….the favor of Fallen….than the dubious…..favor…..of planet-killing….monsters," the alien gurgled.

"Looks like Lady Shego's ploy worked in reverse," Will commented wryly.

"No, I don't think so. I think this guy wasn't here for the Fallen. Or Shego. Are you," Betty asked, playing to her instincts on this one.

"We are….not knowing….what you meaning," the creature gurgled.

"I have very good ears. Very good ears. You have the same basic dialect, and syntax patterns of your neighbors. The Elsarqian. They still haven't truly given up, have they?"

The slug shuddered violently.

"I wager you know Lady Shego just dealt with a few of our own. You likely hoped to exploit the raw emotions being expressed over that, too. Maybe blind us to what was happening until it was too late? Too bad for you that we're better than you thought. So, here's what we're going to do," Betty Director said, back in her element as she leaned back in her chair, hands steepling before her as she narrowed her good eye on the creature.

"This one….can make no accords….with….."

"You'll listen, or I'll throw you in my Pylsian captives I am currently holding. My very angry, very hungry, Pylsians who have not been fed for _days_ on Lady Shego's orders."

Will blinked at that one, but the slug reacted predictably.

The creature shuddered bodily, and seemed to sag all the more in Will's grip.

"What are you….wishing of this one?"

Betty's smile was not pleasant.

"I'm sure you know how this goes? Smart slug like you? _Information._ I want everything you have. Everything you know. Start talking. Now."

The slug talked.

**KP**

"We may have a lead. And I think Lady Gyrzza found out who our spy was, too."

"Is that right," Kim smiled at Hego as Shego wiped sweat from her brow after she and Kim left the gym to join the pair who had just returned from the military prison now holding alien captives until another solution could be managed for them.

Gyrzza nodded as she eyed the pair, finding it strange that they would deem sparring as relaxation. There were many things about the pair of peculiar females that simply did not make sense to her. Then again, both of them had been defying expectations from the beginning. Even before the beginning if even half of what Elizabeth Director had once told her about the two were accurate.

"The Fallen is currently hiding in a cavern beneath what you call the Sahara near what is called….Ahaggar Mountains. That is, however, not the only information we extracted from the Huqaan, who saw your second broadcast, and are more eager than ever to assure you of their defection," Gyzza replied smugly.

"So, Wade was right. Have you told him about this yet," Kim asked Hego.

"We were about to, Kimberly," he told her. "We wanted to make sure we didn't use an outside frequency that might be compromised after everything else that's been happening. I understand that Global Justice is still unmasking infiltrators, and quite a few nations are trying to just shut down all operations until they are certain that their own leadership is….. Well, their leadership."

"Smart," Shego agreed. "No one can pass laws, or make major decisions until they're absolutely certain they aren't being duped. And led to disaster. That's as good as any way to shut those morons up in the U.N."

"Indeed," Gyrzza agreed, still confused over a multinational conglomerate that didn't seem to actually care for its citizens. "I wonder if that outmoded government model is even of any value under your reign, Lady Shego. It seems to only offer you grief, at the best."

"For now, I can use them. You are right, though. If we're really going to unite, and join the rest of the…..Cosmos, something needs to be done about the politics on this rock," she muttered, and eyed Kim.

"What?"

"You sure that last punch didn't hurt you?"

"I'm fine. I just had a brief twinge. It's not morning sickness any more," Kim grumbled. "Thank God, but I still get…..nauseated now and then. I guess it hit me in the middle of our workout. Which was no big," she stressed at the end.

"After everything else…. I don't want you too stressed, Kim. It won't be good for either of you, and you know it."

"Shego, I can take care of….."

"Don't make me call your mother," Shego growled.

"Now, that was low," Kim muttered. "Look, let's just focus on the planning. We have a bead on Abbie now. Let's see if the tweebs have managed to pull off what I hope they have, and then we can put together all the pieces of what I hope will be _our_ trap."

"We had better hurry. Part of what we heard from the….cats," Hego told them as they headed for the labs in the back of the great mansion, "Is that he has the Pylsians running interference for something else that he hopes will destroy the planet. That part they didn't know, as they only knew this Fallen had a failsafe plan, but they weren't part of it."

"All right, let's get Wade looking. Those mountains are pretty widespread, and Abbie could be anywhere knowing him. Then we need to figure out just how to lure Abbie out, and get the Matriarch safely away without his noticing."

"While we bring the Big Bad down for good," Shego nodded. "I take it you think your idea will work?"

"I'm hoping. It all relies a lot on you, and the tweebs. But if I'm right, we can shut him down for good. I hope."

"Good. I'm really getting tired of this guy. Really tired."

"You aren't the only one. And I certainly don't want him lurking around like Drakken when our baby is born."

"Oh, he's going to be history long before that," Shego said. "One way, or another."

Gyrzza said nothing to that.

"And our spy," Kim asked. "You know who it is?"

"So do you," the Kwaa-quu said cryptically.

**KP**

"What do you have," Betty demanded, now in the middle of a very large command center that had grown out of her office.

Only now, ninja in black were mingled among her Global Justice agents, all of whom had been personally cleared by Ron and Bonnie as they continued to vet the U.N. on random sweeps even as they coordinated with global authorities in shutting down any potential hostilities by any group. Domestic, or foreign. That latter now including what many simply called 'out-of-towners.'

"Shego said she's getting ready to move, and wants your people pulled back from three of the six locations they're patrolling."

"Three? Aren't they sure yet….?"

"This is Shego. Not to mention Wade, Kim, and her own brain trust all planning whatever it is they're up to now. All I know is what she said," Bonnie told her as she continued to study a topographical map of the area they were now studying based on what little they had been told.

"It stands to reason they won't give us an exact agenda," Ron cut in. "Not without knowing for certain that we're completely secure here."

"Those two Pylsians we caught trying to tunnel through the basement proves we're not. Yet," Will grimaced. "They're actually smart to keep their own plans to themselves just now with so many likely still listening in at the moment."

"Maybe, but shouldn't be we focusing our efforts on helping support them," Betty asked with a scowl.

The few lupines assigned her and Ronald to keep Shego's 'liaison' safe said nothing as they simply stood, and watched. They had already proven they could act, and act fast, when they stopped a three-pronged assassination attempt by the lizards earlier that day when Betty had gone out to meet the city council to relay a few new safety protocols she wanted to impart in person.

Just to be sure that the officials weren't also imposters.

They weren't. But the assassins tried to exploit her movement. Only the lupines moved even before the ninja could react, and proved they were not just for show. Not one of the assassins survived the attempt.

Betty would have liked to question them, but she had already learned that the hungers were different from that spaceship crew they had incarcerated. The hunters would rather die that speak a word, or even surrender. The lupines, naturally, obliged them.

"What's your best guess," Betty asked, eyeing the overhead projection of the huge mountain range in the heart of the Sahara where few lived, and fewer managed to survive.

Ron eyed the area, the coordinates indicated, and frowned.

"It's a feint," he told her.

"Indeed," one of the ninja, a young woman with cold, dark eyes that only softened when she eyed Ron. "By drawing attention to the areas where you order men out, they must hope they will not notice where Possible-San intends to actually move."

"Unless, they know this guy will guess that plan, and actually intend to…."

"Ron," Bonnie growled. "Let's not overcomplicate it. I do suggest we have people in the region ready to move for rescue, or backup. Just in case," Bonnie told the still current head of Global Justice.

Betty was wondering if she was going to need to step down soon, though. She was getting more and more preoccupied with her new duties, and even she knew it was distracting from her usual attention to detail at her official post.

"Agreed. Commander Du. Very loudly declare those three teams should pull back to the extreme perimeter, and hold station. Then, more discretely, send a signal for all teams to armor up, and be ready for…..anything."

"Yes, ma'am," he nodded, and headed to send his messages on a secure channel he knew couldn't be hacked.

In short, he was going to conscript Wade.

"One last thing," Ron was told as Betty continued to go through the endless streams of files and information coming through her offices just then.

"Ma'am," Ron asked, looking away from one of his own that had just brought an updated report of their last sweep.

"If I'm right, and I think I am, the way Shego is…..doing things…. I believe she may be on the verge of taking personal control of the planet, and the system. Maybe…. Maybe more. I need to know. Do you think Kim will back us if we try to prevent that?"

"Prevent it," Yori turned to study her. "Forgive me, Director-San, but isn't that the very fate that has been revealed for Shego-San? To bring our world into a greater unity with the new worlds beyond?"

"So we've been told. So far, all I'm seeing is a lot of chaos, and worse. If she is serious about going to war with multiple planted, I'm not sure we can rely on her to safeguard us….."

"When they first came back," Ron cut her off, looking grim again. "I had my own doubts. I doubted Kim. I doubted Shego. I doubted myself."

Bonnie frowned at that, but said nothing as Ron was obviously not finished.

"Since they came back, though, I've seen those two stand together to save not only this planet, but a lot of innocent people every time….. Every time this Fallen, or his Henches moved. I say we trust them, Dr. Director. I say we trust them, because….whatever we think we know about Shego, or Kim, they aren't that much different. Not really. Do you think that Kim_, our _Kim, would be standing next to Shego if she was really about to screw things up that badly?"

Betty said nothing to that.

"One other thing you should consider. All this," Bonnie gestured around, not just at the lupines, or the equipment, but far ore. "You might not be seeing it, but the planet is starting to come together. It's slow, and its messy, and there is still a lot of arguing…. When isn't there? But, Dr. Director, Shego is bringing everyone together. Even the Koreans backed down, and opened their borders for the first time in….how long?"

"You're saying we ought to trust her?"

"I'm saying we trust her," Ron added.

Betty scowled, but shook her head.

"Maybe you're right. I hope you are."

"When it all comes down to it, _I_ trust Kim," Ron said bluntly.

"Besides," Bonnie grinned. "Think about it? Do you really think Shego wants to run _anything_ if she can keep giving you all her work so she can go play house with Kimberly," the brunette smirked.

The expression on Betty Director's face would have had her more familiar agents seeking cover.

Bonnie and Ron only sniggered at her.

_To Be Continued…_


	11. Chapter 11

_I do not own any Disney characters named herein, and am only borrowing them to tell a nonprofit tale meant for entertainment purposes only._

**Kim Possible: Empires**

**By LJ58**

**10**

"It's a big desert, and a big mountain," Kim frowned at the display Wade's holographic emitter displayed as the young genius stood with them in person in the lab just then, having been working with the twins on the project Kim had envisioned.

With luck, it was going to win their fight for them.

"Agreed," Wade nodded. "But it's also wide open, and anyone can see you coming from miles away the moment you appear. You can bet they've got surveillance stations everywhere, which is how they're likely staying away from the GJ patrols still trying to find likely hideouts."

Shego tapped her chin as she eyed the range, and asked, "What about satellite scans?"

"IFR is useless there," Wade sighed. "The ambient temperatures are actually hotter than most living bodies….."

"Not body heat. Comet power. Or…..dragon power. You said you could detect my aura more than ever now if I wasn't careful enough to mask it," Shego reminded him. "Suppose Abbie is just careless enough not to bother masking his? Even he can't hold that psionic shield of his forever."

"Energy signatures," Wade spat. "I cannot believe I didn't think of that."

"There's something else to consider," Hego added as he and his brothers had joined them in the lab as they went over their plans. "If he's still using those….aliens for whatever his plans are, don't they have to fly in, and out? Or move around to set things up?"

"The Pylsians have a cloaking shield better than mine," Wade complained. "They could be right outside, and I wouldn't know it unless they knocked on the door."

"No, they wouldn't be right outside," Jim smiled. "Even invisible, our _motion_ detection grid would…."

"Motion. They have to move," Shego agreed. "Whatever they're doing, they have to be moving. So, Nerdlinger, can you make those satellites spot movement?"

"They're still going to be invisible," he grit out, feeling like he was the dummy just then. Especially when Kim continued Shego's notion.

"Movement of anything big enough to dent the planet is going to have an influence on air flow, and currents in the area," Kim realized. "Shego, you're a genius. "We can use disrupted air currents to find, and track them."

"Hey! Who's the genius here," Wade grumbled.

Kim grinned.

"You know we couldn't do this without you, Wade. You still rock. But right now, it's a group effort, and we have to figure this out before these guys do something….bad."

"Again," the Wegos added.

"All right. All right. I was just….. Bingo," Wade said even as he typed on his virtual keyboard, and the satellite image before them began to shift, and waver. "There. The southeast corner of the foothills. We definitely have unusual, and unexplained movements in the usually static air placement. A lot of it. All focusing….here," he said, a red dot lighting up on the map.

"Abbie?"

"Not likely. He wouldn't hide his hostage in a high traffic area," Hego remarked reasonably.

Shego eyed him.

"Well, it stands to reason if he wants her left hidden, or secured as a pawn against outside intervention, she would be well away from any overt activity that might bring…..help."

"That's actually pretty clever, big brother," Shego told him without being snide. "And you're right. I think we likely just found his next doomsday device."

"So, team one hits that area, and shuts down whatever they find," Kim said, and fixed the point on the map.

"Team one," Shego asked her.

"Well, we don't want to put all our eggs in the proverbial basket. You can bet that two-dimensional thinking is exactly what this cretin expects of us, and plans for just now knowing his genetic heritage. But, if we adapt to his polymorphic heritage, then we have to expect a double-cross on his double-cross. We need at least...three teams."

"Three," Wade nodded.

"Three," Shego realized as she caught on to the thinking. "I get it. Hit the machine, or whatever. Another finds the cat queen, and gets her out. And….."

"And the third hits Abbie. Up close, and personal."

"That's obviously me."

"And me," Kim told Shego.

"Now, hold on….."

"Shego, if I'm not there, he's bound to wonder why. As well as what I'm doing. Let's not let give him any ideas of running off to double-check anything if you pop in alone. Keep him focused on us, and our other teams can do their own jobs without his interfering."

"Lady Shego," Warwuff stomped into the lab just then, finally out of bed, and not too eager to go back. "I just heard from my nest-cousin on Duvaani Prime. His fleet have successfully blockaded the planet as your requested, and are forcing the local militia to surrender to your dominion even as we speak."

No one remarked on the Lorwardian's words.

They all knew Shego had already called her own allies to stand up, and her enemies to pick a side. Quite a few had. The Terran embassy located in the U.N. just then was being swamped with everything from trans-light transmissions to old-fashioned radio that was only then starting to reach Earth via carrying beacons to assure the M'Kandii rule that there were a great many races already yielding to her will.

There were, however, still quite a few that yet defied her.

The Elzarqian systems was now under blockade, too, and fighting just to stay alive. The Pylsian homeworld was still under attack from all sides, and ironically it the was peaceful Toivvakuns who led that charge after they felt the reptiles' master had defiled their goddess' temple. Said temple was already being rebuilt to appease their goddess that last reports suggested they were still trying to lure back to their world.

The Duvaani, they had already learned, had tried to launch bio-weapons at the Terran system when they first heard Shego's declaration of hostility. Those willful creatures simply did not want to listen to anyone. Especially a primate, since they were also invertebrate amphibians, and looked down on land-dwelling vertebrates who were mostly pre-sentient pets on their own world.

The Lorwardians, unleashed at Shego's command, had stopped the attack, quarantined the planet, and then quickly hammered it into cooperation. Strange as it seemed to most Terrans, the deceptively simple Lorwardians were a very effective warrior race against most races that they faced. They had simply never faced anyone with the inability to accept being conquered even by nine foot warriors with superior technology.

"Then we can forego worrying about inbound trouble for the moment with Bludstone's fleet still in place. Contact the general anyway, though, and tell him I want him to bring in a prison ship in to start transferring all our captives to a Coalition prison."

"All but the Huqaan," Kim added. "Right," Kim pressed.

"Right," Shego sighed. "For now, we'll see how far they are willing to help us."

"As you command. I shall relay your commands at once, Lady Shego," the green giant saluted her before stomping out again, his mass still enough to make the floor shake slightly despite the obviously solid construction.

"So, we have a general plan. All we need is to locate Abbie, and the head cat, and…"

"I think I've found her," Wade told them just then.

"Where," Kim asked.

"How," Gyrzza exclaimed.

"She just told us," Wade grinned. "Extending your notion of tracking air currents, I started tracking all extraneous signals across visual and audio spectrums, and I picked up a stray vibration from here," he pointed to the map. "Fifteen kilometers underground, where satellite sonar pinging indicates is a series of massive caverns. I backtracked, and found a random, but steady pulse of vibrations coming from that exact location. I think it's some kind of signal. It's too steady to be anything else."

"What kind of signal," Kim asked.

"Well, it sounds a little...off when you hear the singular vibration. But I put it all together, and I got this," Wade said, and tapped a few keys.

The nearby speakers played a faint, but obvious reverberation that was interspaced with curt sounds not unlike a rock hitting steel.

"Huqaan signal pulse," Gyrzza remarked at once.

"I agree," Kim nodded.

"You do?"

"One of us had to study all that stuff about area alien rules, and cultures," Kim grinned at Shego.

Shego's look was more than indignant.

"Okay. Okay, I was also curious about all those cultures supposedly so close to us," Kim huffed. "So, we have her most likely location. Now, we just need to separate Abbie from her, and let the second team get her out."

"Hego, you, one of the twins, and some of the lupines will take our ship, and come in hot and fast once we make our move. You will find out what's going on at that hotspot, and take it out. Whatever it is. And, Hego, don't pull your punches," Shego said bluntly. "You give these guys a chance, and they'll blow our planet to pieces for spite before you can even try to fight."

"Don't worry, Sis," Hego murmured, his eyes glittering ominously. "We aren't losing our home on my watch."

Gyrrz's silver brows rose at the remark, but said nothing as Shego turned to her.

"Wings, you're going in with the other Wego, and find and free the cat boss. You find anyone, or anything that is with her that might be a threat, take them all out _any_ way you can."

"With pleasure," Gyrzza smiled coolly.

"That leaves us to face Abbie. We have to lure him out, and keep him busy long enough to let the others do their jobs," Kim nodded.

"And hopefully kick his shape shifting butt," Shego growled.

"That, too," Kim nodded. "So, Jim? Tim? Does it work?"

The twins looked at one another, and gave a faint grimace.

"We…..don't know. We built it like you said, and it seems to draw ambient energy to itself, but…. Kim, you're talking about an entirely different energy matrix here. We aren't sure what it's properties even are, or how the electronics will hold up when…."

"It'll work," Kim nodded. "I have faith in you guys. All of you," she said, nodding at Wade.

"Let's hope we deserve it this time," Wade admitted. "Because….the boys are right. Even I'm not sure how well this work. Or how long it will work if it does, at all."

"Worst case, what if it fails?"

Wade eyed Shego.

"Honestly, it might….hold for a few moments. But if it shuts down, or even worse, explodes, the energy levels Kim suggested are involved could do as much damage as whatever else the Fallen might try. You'd have to use split-second timing to pull this off, and then get this thing off the planet where it won't do any damage in that….worst-case situation."

Shego nodded at Wade.

"So, business as usual."

"Business as usual," Wade grimaced.

"Business….as usual," Gyrzza frowned.

"So, all we have to do is get Abbie away from the Huqaan Matriarch, and get him to engage Shego in a manner that opens him up for our real attack. Only….how?"

Even as they eyed the faintly spherical device setting before them near the mapping table, Sigseetz, who had been recently relegated to the kitchen for all their sakes, stepped into the room carrying a large tray of food and drink for them.

"Forgive me, Lady," Sigseetz said as he walked over to address Shego as he set the tray down. "Siggy heard what you said, and could not help but recall your first battle against the S'S'Vekani assassin."

"And that helps how," Shego grumbled.

"Sound is a very effective weapon, D'glomites have long known. It confuses, incapacitates, and can even destory. It can unnerve, and unbalance one. Especially if they are already….unsettled as you say this Fallen may be."

"Of course. Hit him with a sonic attack, and keep him off balance, and we can lead him by the nose wherever we want him," Kim realize. "Because he's too big an ego to ignore a direct attack. Especially if he doesn't know it's us until too late."

"But….won't it be us," Kim was asked.

"Yes. And no," she grinned. "Wade, get me in touch with Commander Du. Time to call in a few outstanding favors."

"All right. But I still don't know how sound will help in the long run."

"It doesn't. But it can be the lure we've been needing. We hook this guy, lead him outside, and everything else goes forth from there," Kim said.

"I agree. Pumpkin's been pulling off the impossible long enough that I know you can't underestimate her," Shego smiled. "Even if she does need a little nudge now and then," she smirked just when Kim started to smile her way.

"Shego!"

"Hey, it was Siggy's idea."

"Only you can turn a compliment into an insult," she muttered.

"Thanks."

"That wasn't a compliment," Kim spat.

"Sure it was," Shego grinned, and leaned over to kiss her temple.

Siggy just stared.

"Would Mistress Kimberly, or Lady Shego wish anything else?"

"No," Shego told her, sighing as she reluctantly released Kim, and turned back to the matter at hand. "Back to the kitchen, bug-boy."

"Siggy very happy in kitchen. Very happy to serve."

"Just no more worms for dinner," Shego shot over her shoulder as he left. "I'm getting tired of you adding….."

The insectoid was already gone.

"Now that the comedy relief is gone," Shego grumbled as Kim only smiled at her. "Let's fine-tune this one, and get ready to go. Everyone know what they're going to do?"

"We're about to find out," Kim said as Wade announced Will was on the line.

"Good. Will, it's Kim."

"I know that Possible," Will Du's smug tone drawled audibly over the speaker. "I'm not that incompetent. Now, what do you require, as we are rather busy over here doing _your_ jobs."

Kim grumbled.

"Just spit it out, and then we can go," Shego suggested.

"Right. Right," she said again, and resisted the urge to snap at the pompous jerk she was pretty sure still had to be the biggest jerk on the planet in her opinion. "Listen, we need an operating code to give us authority over your local teams in Africa. We're going to be implementing a _rescue operation _in the area soon, and I don't need any conflicts with your local commanders when we move."

"Understood, Possible. I'm transmitting the codes for regional command authority over your _friend's_ encrypted channels. Try not to let them out. And understand we'll be changing them within thirty minutes, so do what you have to do fast."

"Good enough. Thanks, Du."

"Thanks are not necessary," he quipped. "We are….."

Kim sighed as she cut him off by simply closing the channel.

"I always wanted to do that to him," she smiled.

"I've wanted to do a lot more," Shego muttered.

Kim giggled at that.

"Who doesn't? Okay, Ron's keeping an eye on Betty, and her people for us. Along with keeping her safe so no one tries replacing her. Meanwhile, they're keeping everyone busy, and off balance by preoccupying everyone by hunting infiltrators. So, let's get ready, because this is it," she said.

"We're ready when you are, Miss Possible," Hego nodded.

"Indeed," Gyrzza agreed. "I have long desired a chance to avenge my own people. Let us strike these vermin now, and put paid to any defiance that might condemn any others to my fate."

"Count on it, Wings," Shego told her, nodding her way. "Too bad you can't teleport, too. That would have been handy."

"We can't all be rule-breaking, unlikely cosmic powers like you, Lady Shego," Gyrzza informed her with a rare smile. "But, I'm very glad you are just now. It gives me genuine hope for our chances."

"That makes one of us," Hego grimaced.

"Don't worry, Hego. If you would have been with us from the start, you'd know that Shego really is capable of doing more than you know. Or can imagine," Kim assured him. "Just focus on your part, and don't give these reptiles, or whoever you find, any leeway. This is for the whole planet, as much as Shego."

Hego only looked all the more solemn.

"All right," Shego said. "Hego, get your team into that ship, and get going. I'll teleport team two with Kim into position, and then get my team into place before we start once you're in range to strike. Everyone ready?"

They all stared around them, and Jim and Tim were the only ones that looked eager.

"Sure we can't come with," the young teens asked Kim.

"Not this time, tweebs," she still called them. "The folks would kill me if anything happened to you. And this is not going to be a fight you want to be in. Trust me."

"You can help me coordinate, and keep an eye on things," Wade told them. "That's still going to be tricky."

"Actually, we want them using the computers to keep our spy busy, and out of mischief."

"Oh, we can do that," the boys grinned.

Kim nodded at him, and turned to go. "Everyone, arm yourselves, and don't forget ear protection when we launch the sonics. So, get ready. We're about to go take down a madman."

"Now you make it sound like business as usual," Shego said dryly.

"No….."

_"Princess,"_ Shego growled.

"…..Big," she winked, and walked out with the small, metal device under one arm.

"I'm going to kill her. So help me, if we live, I'm going to kill her," Shego growled at the ceiling.

Gyrzza just shook her head at them, still not close to understanding either of them.

**KP**

"We have an incoming transmission from a ship coming into our orbital path for atmosphere entry," one of Betty's newer aides recently vetted by Will Du himself declared as he came into the primary offices where Betty was still trying to make sense of half the chaos going on around her. "It's Lorwardian, ma'am."

"From the blockade? What are they doing here?"

"New orders directly from Shego, apparently," the man said, and held out a paper. "General Bludstone…."

"General? I thought they said Bludstone was the _emperor_ of the Lorwardians?"

"Oh, well, I was confused, too, ma'am. Until one of the green guys said _this_ Bludstone is the first son and heir to the emperor who earned the right to take his father's name once he….ah, earned his own command. You….don't want to know how he did that. I wish I didn't. But….they _insisted_ upon sharing," the man actually grimaced with a light shudder.

"And the orders," she asked, wondering what Shego was doing now as Betty took the paper, scanning it as the man went on.

"They're sending down guards to help us empty the prisons of any and all Nonaligned captives who they have been ordered to transport to the Coalition prison planet. They suggested if we have any of our own we want….carried off, they can go, too. That part, however, is apparently optional at the moment," he said. "So far."

"Shego is arbitrarily sending _our_ captives off to prison now?"

"Coalition rules, I'm told. 'When the Lady speaks, her subjects obey,' is how they put it when I questioned the order myself," he admitted.

"The army isn't going to like this. They were hoping we could learn some things from some of these….people."

She didn't add that she was already learning quite a bit from that slug that had tried to assassinate Shego. Only everything she learned made her more uneasy about the entire situation that had Shego becoming far more powerful than she was in both a political, as well as a physical sense.

"Dr. Director? What do we do?"

"Do? We hand them over, Agent Newton. It does solve a problem, as we're not sure about the diet, or even health requirements of some of the….visitors we have in custody. So be it. Let the warriors take them. All of them."

"None of ours, though?"

"Of course not," Betty sputtered, not even about to start shipping humans off to some space prison where anything could happen to them.

"Oh, and….I was told the Huqaan are excepted. For now. In fact, we're supposed to let all of them go."

Betty felt a headache growing again.

"Of course. Of course. I don't suppose you know why?"

"Shego….."

"Ordered it," Betty sighed, eyeing Ron. "Do you think she even knows what she's doing?"

Ron nodded after a moment.

"I've always thought she was smarter than she let on. You can bet if she's giving any orders just now, she knows exactly what she's doing. Only we probably aren't going to understand them until they hit the fan. Which, might be exactly what she wants."

"She wants _chaos?"_

"With all respect, Director-San," Yori smiled as she turned from eyeing the rotating guards on the street below visible just outside the window. "If she is facing chaos incarnate, would she not wish to meet it on an apparent even field? If she can produce a plan that makes no sense, then our enemy may not be able to counter it, simply because they will not be able to fathom it either."

"Oh, so Kim made the plan," Ron chirped.

Bonnie couldn't help but chortle.

"I'm so telling her you said that," the brunette informed him.

"Ma'am," Will Du cut in just then, walking back into the room with purpose. "Do you know that Possible just sent orders for the on-site teams in the desert regions of Africa _to…..attack_ sand dunes?"

"She what," Betty frowned.

"She just ordered them to attack with everything they have on coordinates that aren't even strategic placements. She's blowing up….sand dunes, and foothills," he sputtered.

"So," Betty murmured knowingly now. "They've started."

"But what are they starting," Will complained.

"I get the feeling we're all about to find out," Ron said grimly.

_To Be Continued…_


	12. Chapter 12

_I do not own any Disney characters named herein, and am only borrowing them to tell a nonprofit tale meant for entertainment purposes only._

**Kim Possible: Empires**

**By LJ58**

**11**

"Hego," Kim's voice came over the radio. "We're engaging _now_. Full speed to your target, and don't spare the horses, or the muscle. Take out whoever, or whatever you find, and fast!"

"We're on our way," Hego replied, watching one of the ten lupines in the ship with him and Wego One send the ship flying smoothly over the sands just inches from the ground, but adjusting their flight so they hit nothing.

"Prepare yourselves," the lupine in the opening hatch declared, checking his own weapon. "Scanners are detecting multiple targets. At least two large ships, and a major electronic signal in the center of activity. There will be a lot of resistance, I'm certain."

Hego eyed the nearest console, assessing the red dots on the screen, and made an instant decision.

"Pilot, flyover first, and let me drop in on them. The rest of you," he turned to Wego, and the lupine leader. "Swing around, flank them, and don't let anyone get away."

"They are definitely Pylsians. As well as a few other species I've encounter. All hostile," another lupine declared from his post on the scanner.

"Arm all weapons, and prepare. Primary target is the electronic device, whatever it's purpose. Secondary targets are the ships. Do not let them escape," the leader declared as the ship closed on the target. "Remember, brothers, we live to serve."

"We live to serve," every lupine on the ship echoed as one.

"We are approaching target now," the pilot called to Hego. "Jump zone in four. Three. Two….."

"Go," Hego shouted himself, and leapt from the open hatch to hurl himself at the ground below even as bright green lasers filled the air.

**KP**

"Hego's team is inbound, and two minutes from contact," Wego Two told them needlessly, Shego already mentally in contact with him just then.

"Right. Wings," Shego turned to Gyrzza, "This is as close to the most likely entrance as we can get you. Kim and I are heading out to try to lure him out now. If all those crazy agents haven't already drawn his eye, then we'll be doing that when we start the full sonic barrage. You guys be ready to move the moment he shows."

Gyrzza nodded at her, Wego and the team of lupines with them standing silent as they waited for their chance to act.

"Remember, no matter what else you hear, you get the cat, and get her out of here," Kim told them. "We will handle everything else. You get the Huqaan to safety," she told Wego.

"Count on it, Kim," the young hero told her. "With Lady Gyrzza, and the big guys here," he nodded at the heavily armed wolven giants with them, "I'm pretty sure we can handle just about anything."

"Indeed," Gyrzza murmured.

"Kimmie," Shego turned to her as she carried the oval device slung over one shoulder now, her remote tied into the hovering sonic emitters she was about to launch chirping as she activated the twenty-six powerful sound generators they had quickly cobbled together. "We're ready when you are."

"Launching now," she said, and the hovering orbs all sped off in different directions. All toward known, or mapped access points that would get them underground, and close to the main cavern where the still steady signal was originating.

"You just remember to stay back. Let the freak see you, but don't let him get close. This is my show. Remember that, if nothing else."

"I know," Shego was told. "I know. You just remember not to take unnecessary chances. Aside from half the galaxy looking to you, our daughter wants to know her mother."

"You're her…."

"Both of them," Kim cut her off.

Shego turned, and cocked her head.

All three of them sensed as much as 'heard' the angry roar that came from somewhere far underground.

"I think phase one of Operation Annoy just went into action," Kim murmured.

"All right. Let's get out in the open, and let him see us," Shego told them. "Gryzza, keep your shields up, and on high. All of them," she was told as the silver dragoness' team was outfitted with Wade's tech, but she had also been learning to use her own psionic shields for the first time. Something that had never occurred to her either.

"The minute you see him appear, the minute you have an opening, go," Kim told her.

"We know what to do. Be wary yourselves. He will be counting on your return. He may have his own clever plans in place," Gyrzza told her. "We will signal the moment we have secured the Matriarch."

"Good luck, Wings," Shego nodded, and headed for the nearby open sands just south of the nearest opening to the massive caverns beneath their feet.

Kim followed, but nodded, too, and then loped after Shego.

**KP**

"What are those witless creatures doing," the Fallen complained as he noted the abrupt, and apparently senseless barrage on the desert above his head.

The Huqaan, still silent, said nothing as she moved to hide the hard, fist-sized stone she had finally managed to gain with the aid of her prehensile tale just two days ago. She had then carefully started tapping out the tempo of an old Huqaan mating ballad. If any of her people were paying attention, it was her hope they would detect her signal on the vibrational tones she was able to create using just the right force and rhythm with the stone on the bars of her cage.

The Fallen did not appear to notice, even after two full days of carefully tapping out her signal.

She knew what he meant.

Even her ears could detect the rumbling reverberations of whatever weapons the Terran monkeys were using to attack whatever they were attacking. It was only when the Pylsian techs switched on a monitor that let them see the humans that she understood his bafflement.

The humans were attacking….nothing.

They were engaging an imaginary enemy, but attacking with such force and intensity that the very air was filled with sand and thunder as their weapons created a virtual battlefield before them. Their only casualties, sand and rock. Their only consequence…..

The Matriarch's round, yellow-green eyes flared as she suddenly heard the amplified sounds from the Hunters' equipment. The new perspective made her almost howl.

She let a curt laugh escape as she eyed the scowling tyrant, and made him look her way.

"This madness amuses you?"

"Don't you understand, 'o wise one," she smirked. "They're calling you out. They are daring you to face them. They are warriors pounding their chests. Showing their might. Soon, their _champion_ will come out, and they will call you coward, or….."

"Yo, Abbie," a maddeningly familiar voice echoed in the Fallen's ears as one of the monitors detected the green-skinned female's shout as she appeared not too far from one of the groups of humans firing madly at the sand. "You out there, or did you already run off with your tail between your legs?" The Matriarch smirked.

"The M'Kandii dragoness has come for you. Even we know you cannot fight prophecy, or the will of the gods," the feline chortled. "Best you run, 'Abbie,'" she sneered at him.

The Fallen glowered, and gave a curt rumbling curse that would not have translated well into any known language.

The intent, however, was obvious.

"Does she think her projectile weapons can harm me," he hissed.

"No, I think she just wanted you to face her, and stop hiding like….."

The Fallen roared now, smashing a massive fist into the side of her cage, and sending it tumbling. She lost her precious rock as she instinctively held to the bars, bracing herself as the cage sailed over and over to come to rest upside down before it stopped near the far side of the cavern.

The Matriarch righted herself, ignoring the new bruises, and laughed in his face.

"The monkey-dragon laughs, too. Will you face her, or skulk about in your shadows like…."

The Fallen swelled up to nearly twenty-four feet, his full height. Then he simply vanished. She knew he was going. He was letting his emotion overwhelm him. Ignoring what was right before him. The Matriarch didn't settle as she eyed the warped bars of her cage as the Pylsian techs continued to work on their task on the far side of the cavern. Unlike the dragon, she had heard the signal in the pulsing blasts that were set off with a carefully orchestrated signal that matched her own.

When the Pylsians unwittingly played the sounds in clearer audio, she was able to interpret them herself.

"_We're coming_," the booming sounds declared in the same Huqaan rhythm she had been using herself. "_Be ready_."

Two simple statements. Repeated endlessly by the cacophony of crude weapons that masked their intent.

The Matriarch could not help but smile as the witless males around her continued to work their mischief without realizing what was coming for them. Even she had not realized these primates were so clever. She would have to apologize to them. If she survived.

If they survived.

**KP**

Hego ignored the lasers, mentally amping his strength as he had been learning and practicing since he had been given a new agenda by his unlikely sister. He hit the ground hard enough to gouge out a shallow crater a few feet deep just a few feet from the oversized device that looked like an inverted pyramid with a lot of blinking lights.

He didn't know what the machine did, but as he eyed the tilting equipment rattled by his landing, he ignored the bipedal lizards he had faced before, and flung himself at the machine with two glowing fists even as explosions went off around him as the rest of his team set to work.

He hit the base of the machine twice before a panel sparked, and the metal started to dent.

"That's some tough steel," he commented, pausing to wipe off the four or five reptiles trying to swarm him, and then hit it again. This time the base collapsed, and the inverted pyramid fell over, and started to smolder ominously.

Having some experience himself in such situations, he lifted the entire assembly, and simply flung it at the group of reptiles that were rushing out of the nearest ship where they had looked to be loading up, more than doing anything else just then.

The device hit the ground, flattening several of the aliens, and sending more sprawling. Then it bounced, bounced again, and hit the side of the nearby ship. Where it promptly exploded.

Then the lupines were there, shooting, or tearing into anyone around them as Wego swarmed the group with dozens of copies around the second ship, and four of the lupines with him set up a very ominous device that they turned toward the second ship as their companions held off any defenders that might prevent their work.

A moment later, the ship seemed to fall in half as the device fired, and a burst of white heat from the backlash seared even his skin for a moment.

"They're not going anywhere now," the lupine leader shouted, leading the rest of his men to flank the far side of the encampment. "Wipe them out! Every one of them!"

Hego didn't argue as he put his fists to devastating use as the Hunters seemed genuinely intent on bringing them down. When one Wego went down, a laser literally cutting him to pieces, he heard them all yelp, but the others kept going, which meant the original wasn't hurt. Or not fatally.

"Wego," he shouted, slamming a fist into the nearest Hunter, and his oversized 'hound' that tried to take him from behind. "Remember what Sis said. Don't hold back! They won't!"

"Don't we know it," the rattled teen hissed, still reeling from the assault on his hive-mind by the death of one of his doppelgangers.

Which was when they all faltered, hearing the thunderous, and absolutely furious roar of something that shook the ground far more than the self-destructing spaceships they had just destroyed. Turning, Hego had time to glance to the north just in time to see a tremendous burst of iridescent energy that lit up the entire sky.

"Was that….?"

"Don't know," Hego spat, catching a long, jagged spear meant for his side, and returning it to its owner. Point first. "But we can't let up. Remember, if we give these guys a chance, they'll only try again. Put them down. All of them," he shouted, and waded right back into the thick of the reptiles who were not trying to give up. They were earnestly trying to fight to win.

Hego didn't intend to give them the slightest chance.

**KP**

"Isn't it this way," Wego asked, pointed down the turn he was about to take in the maze under the desert. He had spotted the Fallen appearing not too far from their hiding place. He barely had time to duck, just in case, when Shego had slammed into the guy, and sent them both rolling away from the hidden group awaiting their turn to act.

They had rushed for the nearby cavern entrance, quickly found themselves in a maze of recently cored out tunnels, and had to relay on the GPS tech linking them with Wade just then.

"Your machine is wrong this time," Gyrzza growled, only six feet tall, but back in dragon-form as she suited her size for the tunnel. "I _smell_ the Huqaan, and more Pylsians. They are this way," she pointed, and headed down another tunnel.

"The Lady is right," one of the lupines growled. "We smell their reek, too. They must have something to confuse your electronics. Best rely on our senses now."

"Great," Wego grimaced. "Because this wasn't hard enough," he muttered, feeling something from his twin, but now sure how to interpret it as they raced through the dark tunnels, relying on the lupines and Gyrzza, since they didn't dare use artificial lighting that might expose them to any sentries before they could get near their target.

"Just be ready. I am smelling a great many of those vile assassins," Gyrzza cautioned, though she moved through the darkness at nearly a dead run. "Too many to be merely sentries. They are doing something here, too, under cover of the rock that blinds your floating eyes."

"Satellites can't see everything," Wego muttered.

"Indeed," she shot back, then abruptly stopped.

"A pulse-bomb," she murmured to her lupine counterpart. "See," she pointed.

"It's ready, too. Just one push of a detonator switch, and it would crack this sphere in half. Or worse."

"What do we do."

"Hold. There," Gyrzza murmured, and tracked the Huqaan to the far side of the enormous cavern that only dimply lit around the work areas where the Pylsian techs moved.

Still hidden by both Wade's tech, and Gyrzza's psionic shield, none of the enemy knew they were there as yet. Just as they had managed to evade even the Fallen's eyes when he had abruptly appeared on the surface as he had.

"Boy, you will get to the Huqaan," Gyrzza growled to Wego, rising to her full height even as she started to move. "Get her out, and get her away from here. We will handle the assassins. I will deactivate the bomb. We move as one. Now, go!"

Wego didn't argue as he moved at once for the battered cage.

Amping his strength though his own body, he grabbed part of the obviously warped bars near one corner where the big cat was already trying in vain to pull a bar back, and grinned as he heard the steel creak slightly.

It was just audible enough that one of the reptiles turned to stare his way.

Seeing only the feline tugging at the one bar he had not touched, and not seeing the one he had pulled down, he only gave what likely passed as a chortle before he turned away.

"I'm dropping my cloak to let the Matriarch see you. Get her out, and go," Gyrzza ordered Wego mentally even as he pulled down the second bar, which both the cat, and a few reptiles noted.

Even as one started to shout a warning, the feline's eyes rounding in confusion, the armed Pylsians started dying without apparent cause. The reptiles howled, and several ran for the bomb, only to suddenly burst into flame.

The cat-lady gave a startled hiss when he suddenly just seemed to appear before her, grabbing at the next bar that would let her out when he pulled it down.

"Don't worry," he rasped, tugging so hard his arms felt as if they might burst from within despite his amped musculature just then.

Super-strength was usually Hego's realm, and he wasn't used to this kind of exertion.

"The M'Kandii Lady sent you," the feline asked, and Wego only nodded as he pulled the last bar down, and told her, "And we're on a tight schedule. Come with me. I'm going to get you out of here."

"They have a pulse-bomb," she hissed, stepping out of the cage by wriggling easily thorugh the space he had opened. "We have to…."

"I have friends working on that now. Obviously," he said, as more Pylsians burst into flame, and more died as laser bolts fired from seemingly empty air.

A deadly burst of fire was returned to those origin points, but the reptiles never seemed to hit a thing, and now they were fast getting the message they were losing. Those that tried rushing the bomb burst into flame, or were knocked violently across the cavern hard enough to shatter bone, or worse.

"Now, let's go. You're no good to either of our people if you get hurt."

"Indeed," she murmured. "Where do we go," she asked, knowing it didn't matter how far you ran if someone set off that bomb.

"Trust me. We have friends waiting on you."

The queen ran after him, keeping her pace slowed as she followed the small male, and wondered how it was such a small body could contain such strength. She heard more explosions behind her, and kept cringing as she expected the bomb to detonate at any moment. The sounds of the fighting was left behind after a few turns, and then she smelled fresh air.

"This way," Wego told the cat, and let her through a narrow canyon along a higher cliff.

She was about question his tactics, hearing something ominously like the Fallen roaring as the very air shook with his rage, but then she froze. Unable to believe what she was seeing.

"Go," Wego hissed at her, pointing to the four patrol ships, and a score of her own people waiting just outside the hatch of one of them. "Go, now."

She turned, and stared at him.

"The Huqaan will not forget this day, primate," she told him somberly as she looked from the ship, to Wego. "Tell your Lady, we will not forget."

"Go," Wego said, and was already running back to the cave.

The males surrounded the female Matriarch, and had her inside the ship before he even reached the first bend in the trail. The ships wavered, cloaking themselves once more before they lifted off, and the faint whine of powerful engines told him they were leaving, and leaving fast.

"Done," Wego sent mentally to those that needed to hear the message. "Package is away."

He reached the cavern again just in time to see Gyzza ripping out a crystalline jewel that was pulsing in her hand before she closed that big, silver hand, crushing the bauble. A puff of yellowish vapor exploded around her hand, but nothing else happened.

"The bomb is neutralized. These vermin exterminated. We should go to the first team to ensure they do not need help."

"What about….?"

"Remember the plan. We handle the peripherals, and leave the Fallen to Lady Shego. We must trust her to do what must be done."

"Right. Her, and Kim."

"Indeed. Come," she said to him as much as to the lupines who were checking the few wounded among them. "We had best cloak ourselves completely again, and then slip away. We dare not let the Fallen know what we've done just yet. Best he remain distracted as long as possible."

"Goes without saying," he said, and started to walk past a wounded reptile who tried to lift a long, jagged knife to slash at his legs.

Wego jumped aside, then grabbed the knife he kicked away from the weakened Pylsian, and stared at him.

"Do you wish to take him….?"

"No," Wego said, turning away after sinking the blade into its owners throat. "No prisoners. Not this time."

Gyrzza eyed him, then nodded.

"You may make a competent warrior yet."

Wego said nothing to that as they all headed for the surface once more.

He only paused at the mouth of the cavern to leave a single device in place. A parting gift from the Possible Twins.

Just in case.

_To Be Continued…_


	13. Chapter 13

_I do not own any Disney characters named herein, and am only borrowing them to tell a nonprofit tale meant for entertainment purposes only._

**Kim Possible: Empires**

**By LJ58**

**12**

"I think we got his attention," Kim remarked as the reddish-black dragon appeared before them on the desert, roaring his fury at them as he turned to glower at the still human Shego.

"'Bout time you got here," Shego drawled, standing her ground as Kim stepped back, putting distance between them in case Shego had to go dragon in a hurry.

"I see your weakness now," the Fallen growled at her, looking down at her with cold, milky-grey eyes.

"Do you," Shego smirked.

"Obviously. You cannot maintain your dragon form. You are still too new to your power. You cannot yet control it, or the powers you should not even possess."

"Wow, is that what you think," Shego said, trying not to laugh.

"It is obvious. I realize now, that to beat you, I need only force you to expend your might, and then you shall be easily crushed," he growled, and loomed larger as he moved toward her. "After which I'll crush this pathetic rock, and show the galaxy….."

"Show 'em this," Shego growled, and rose into a full, thirty feet high mass of reptilian might as she lunged forward, hands glowing, as she slammed bodily into the slightly smaller, but no less massive creature before her.

"Commander Phillips, it's Kim Possible. Full evac of all positions now. I say again, full evac now. Get your people out of here," she shouted into her radio.

"Already moving, Possible," a gruff voice replied. "Appreciate the heads-up."

Kim was already looking back to Shego, cringing as the Fallen proved his power wasn't a complete fluke as he moved to roll, teeth and talons raking at Shego as he tried to outmuscle her. To a trained martial artist, though, Shego was more than capable of managing an oversized bit of brute, and she proved it as she deftly avoid most of his counters, and then somersaulted back to land on both feet, the very ground shaking under her mass as Aburaak rose no less swiftly to roar a vicious challenge.

Shego answered him with a two-handed blast of plasma to the face.

By the time the snarling animal could see again, Shego had already slammed back into him again, and was again pouring out all the plasma she could into his slick, viscous flesh that was starting to visibly roil under the energetic-assault.

Kim found herself growing nauseous at the reek of scorched and burning flesh, but she had to stay in place. The next phase was going to be critical, if it worked.

She shook the doubt from her mind, and focused past her own nausea.

It would work.

It had to work.

She simply could not envision anything else.

**KP**

"We have confirmation from the teams on site," Betty was told as Will burst unceremoniously into her office after what seemed a long, quiet lull.

"What's going on?"

"They've engaged the Fallen. The Huqaan we let go have suddenly left the planet, all but a single ship that seem to be inbound toward Hego's location. I suggest we target them just in case…."

"No," Ron told him. "No show of hostility now. Not with them."

"If they are about to stab us in the back, again," Betty frowned. "Now would be the best time."

"In that case, why not take more people? Why not go right to the Fallen," Ron was asked.

"No, I trust Kim, and even Shego on this one. I think the cats are going to help. And….if we are wrong, I doubt a single ship will be much of a match for Hego."

Will scowled, but shook his head.

"Any report on Shego? Do we know how she's doing?"

"We don't have eyes in the area. No satellites are in position, either. Not for another twenty minutes."

"We have five teams….!"

"Possible ordered them all out. Commander Phillips just reported they had evacuated the entire zone. He said it looked like Shego was pulling out the stops. The whole area was starting to glow like a nuke went off."

Bonnie frowned.

"When you say glow….?"

"Shego's plasma is more than heat and light. She can literally access cosmic energy spectrums that run the entire gamut if she wants. From UV," Dr. Director told the brunette. "To gamma."

"But that means….?"

"The whole desert is about to become radioactive if she's going all out," Dr. Director nodded. "Highly radioactive."

No one said a word to that.

**KP**

"Shego," Kim shouted as the big, green dragoness was suddenly slammed in the side of the head with a boulder ripped from an outcropping of nearby rock shattered when the Fallen had been slammed into the rocky ledge that protruded from the sands near the start of the foothills that rose into the mountains beyond.

Shego staggered back, shaking her head, and for a moment her glow faltered.

"I'm all right," whispered in the redhead's mind. "Get your force field up, I'm going full green."

"But gamma can make you sick!"

"Well, it always did before," she admitted. "But right now it's my last, best trick. He's shaking off everything else in spite of the intensity. I'm betting full gamma won't be so easy for even him to shrug off, though. So get that shield up."

"Are you already lagging, pretender," the Fallen growled, slowly stalking toward her, taking her pause for something other than her silent deliberation with Kim. "Have you lost your bluff already? Yield now, and I'll make your passing merci….."

The dragon howled as Shego roared, and began to glow far more brightly.

And bodily.

Then, she leapt again, showing no weakness as she slammed two brightly glowing hands right into the red-black dragon's armored torso she had already torn open in places.

This time, the creature screamed in earnest.

His skin roiled like a bubbling miasma, and tried to pull back away from her glowing talons. Which left his raw flesh beneath, an inky-black sludge, completely vulnerable.

"Now," Shego shouted, and plunged one glowing hand right into the very center of the Fallen's chest.

The huge reptile clutched desperately at her arm, but was unable to pull it away as he roared in pain and fury. Even as he did, Shego snarled, and her free hand began to glow a brighter green before the aura turned strangely incandescent.

"Now," Shego shouted again, and Kim pulled the spherical device from her shoulder where it dangled from a strap, switched it on, and then flung it up towards Shego's outstretched hand.

"What are you….? Im…possible," the red-black beast roared in agony, and hate. "Impossible!"

"Since you're not from around here," Shego hissed, her free hand closing on the sphere, and holding it tightly in her grip. "But anything is Possible….. For a human being!"

The Fallen roared so loudly the very ground shook with his rage, and then he seemed to be shrinking.

And the sphere started glowing hotter and hotter, the components ominously close to failure as Shego continued to use her abilities much like Gyrzza had, and simply channeled the raw energies from the Fallen into the orb. She wasn't so much pulling them out, as moving them. Treating them like free energy that didn't have to be focused, simply channeled.

Kim guessed that if Abbie had as little control over his physical as his mental state, they might be able to distract him long enough to channel his more potent energies right out of his grip before he could realize what they were doing.

Even as the sphere continued to glow brighter, Abbie was shrinking smaller and faster with every second.

A moment later, a very human Shego stood over a pulsing mass of black goo that writhed in pain on the sand before her as she held out the glowing sphere.

"Princess," she hissed. "This is way too much power to contain. And I don't have a clue where to take it that it won't end up doing….."

"I will take it," a familiar voice drawled.

Kim and Shego both turned to see a familiar, elfin creature walking forward to them. He paused, looking down at the polymorphic creature laying spent on the sand, and gave a sniff of disdain.

"That," he said, "Is why we leave your kind to your own devices. Nothing good comes of giving primitives things they cannot yet properly manage."

"No argument, Ears," Shego growled. "But while I'd love to get rid of this time-bomb," she hissed, still eyeing the orb uneasily. "Just how do we know you won't do something bad with it, either?"

The Chancellor actually smiled.

"Suppose I give you my word that you will not have any fear over this energy being misused. I know exactly where to take it. Where it needs to go. But I must take it now, as timing is critical. The device you conjured is already failing. It will not last long."

"Give it to him," Kim told Shego, still keeping her force-field up, just in case. "If nothing else, he can get it off the planet, and away from Abbie."

"Abbie," the Chancellor smirked. "A rather amusing appellation for such a beast. I leave you to your mess. You yet have much to clean up, young dragons, _if_ you intend to actually win your war. We shall be…..'

"Yeah, yeah. You shall be watching. We know. Now beat it," Shego growled, having handed him he orb. "Clock's ticking. Remember?"

The Chancellor smirked, and then simply vanished. Taking the orb with him.

Kim and Shego stared, then looked down at the still shuddering mound of sludge that was only slowly starting to take on a more familiar shape.

"So," Shego murmured, staring down at the by then vaguely humanoid shape as the dark good began to turn slightly pink.

Kim frowned, and realized the polymorph was starting to literally smolder.

"I think, without his….power, he's more vulnerable than ever," she realized, and fired a containment sphere at the vaguely humanoid shape. "The sphere should protect him from the sun, and the heat, as well as keep him from trying….."

"Vvvvvvvvvvvvil'….pri….matessssssss," issued from a half-formed mouth as the thing that had been the Fallen abruptly surged to his feet. "Yuuuuu thin' isssss over? Never! Never! In but secondsssss, your world….."

"Is safe," Gyrzza said, appearing with Wego, and several lupines.

The rest had remained behind to ensure any lagging Pylsians that might show were dealt with. After all else, none of them were taking prisoners. Even Wego didn't argue over that after seeing how close they had been to setting off that bomb.

"You," the dark pinkish shape turned to sneer with a featureless visage. "You dragon-spawn will never succeed! I will not allow it! I am….."

"Nothing," Kim told him. "Take a good look at yourself, Abbie. If I drop my containment sphere, you're dead. Shego beat you. _We_ beat you."

"Miss Possible," Hego's weary voice sounded in her ear over her transceiver. "It's done."

"You got them all," Shego demanded.

"It was….close. But some of those giant felines showed, and helped us keep any of them from escaping. We….. We got them all. No captives, though," he added after a moment. "None of them….wanted to yield."

"Expected," Gyrzza sniffed. "And just as well."

"I agree," the Wego with her replied over the open channel. "Good job, guys."

Even as they spoke, the Huqaan ship flew up and hovered over them before it slowly descended. Two of the big felines stepped out, and approached them.

"This….is the Fallen," one of them frowned, eyeing the captive polymorph.

"He's no less dangerous than before," Shego said, surprising Kim with her assessment. "But you can leave him to us. He won't be bothering you, or your world again. Nor will we, so long as you recall our accord," the green-skinned woman added with just the right amount of steel in her tone.

"Huqaan do not forget their allies. Not their tue allies. We shall speak again, Lady," the big cat grumbled. "After we ensure our Matriarch is safely home once more."

"Then go. And if you meet any other Pylsians….."

The cat actually managed a kind of smile.

"We shall know just what to do with them," he said with an ominous growl.

Shego sighed, looked around, and then heavily sat down.

"I knew it," the captive shape-shifter howled. "I knew it! You expended yourself! Just as I said. With just a little more effort…..!"

"You, shut up," Shego muttered sourly, and flung a weaker than usual plasma ball at his cage.

Despite being inside the small force bubble, he cringed away from that exploding energy burst.

"You okay," Kim asked, walking over to kneel beside her.

"I…. I'm okay. Really, I am. But I just realized what Ears told us."

"Yeah," Kim asked.

"You know what he said, and didn't say. About…our mess. If someone like him bothered to say anything….."

"Yeah, we're still in trouble," Kim agreed.

"Our spy doesn't help," Shego muttered, reluctantly climbing to her feet. "And it's a sure bet that Abbie won't stay neutralized forever. Not from what I know about comet….. _Dragon_ power."

"No," Kim admitted. "We just tapped his immediate energy reserves. In time…."

"No," another voice said. "This time, I will rectify my own errors," the Great Lady herself said as she appeared before them.

Shego looked up at the dragoness that towered over them before shrinking down to take the shape of the familiar old woman they had encountered during her first and last visit to Earth.

"So, now you show up," Shego complained.

"I have been watching you, daughter," the silver-haired woman smiled at her. "And you have been doing a marvelous job. Better than I in my first years, I assure you. Now, Kimberly," she said, "If you will turn off your containment sphere?"

The now grayish-pink, vaguely humanoid creature writhed even before Kim let the bubble drop. He was, she realized, recoiling from the Great Lady. For someone that so disdained them, and her, he didn't seem to want to see her.

"I've long despaired over your presence, Aburaak," she sighed, and lifted a glowing hand that almost seemed to be vanish in the golden shimmer of energy she conjured. "But until now, I've not had the opportunity to do what I must. What is best for us all. Goodbye, my former friend," she said sadly, and launched the golden sphere that seemed to explode around him, and vaporize him.

"Did you…..?"

"Calm yourself," the apparent woman in the silvery-white gown smiled at Kim. "I merely sent him where he could do no more harm. Even when, or if his energies return, he is now in a place where there is none to harm, or be harmed."

"Uh, you want to explain that one?"

"There are…..many dimensions beyond our own, Shego," the Great Lady told her. "I simply sent him to one where all life has already been eradicated by…. Well, let us call it a grim mishap. And before you ask, I could not have done so before, as his own power would have resisted my efforts. Only now, thanks to you, could I finally exile him beyond our realm where he could live safely without endangering others. I thank you, daughters."

"Glad to help," Shego muttered. "So, any advice on the rest of this mess?"

"Just be yourself," the old woman smiled at her, and patted Shego's cheek. "And go as you intend to end. For what it is worth, I would ignore that pretentious Chancellor. You'd think they were the only evolved species in the Multiverse according to them. I assure you, what you are doing here? It is a good thing, daughter. You are, in essence, bringing your galaxy together, after all. And isn't that always a good thing. Uniting peoples for a common cause?"

"So, no scolding?"

The woman smiled, and began to grow anew, back into her own, larger dragon-form.

"None, daughter. But I will give you a last bit of advice. Never ignore your consort. Had I heeded Vakaui all those years ago, there never would have been a Fallen. I pray Kimberly keeps you making any similar mistakes yourself."

And then she was gone.

"Well, that seemed kind of….."

"Anticlimactic," Kim asked her as they both stared where the Great Lady had been.

"Pointless," Shego huffed. "She swoops in, spanks Abbie, and then pops out. I feel….."

Kim had released her own force-shield by then, the more intense energies released by Shego having dissipated by then. She walked over, and hugged Shego from behind.

"Maybe, Shego, it's her way of saying she is proud of you. You did just handle a very big thorn in her side. One she admitted even she couldn't handle for some time now."

"Whatever. You know what, I think we do need to get things put in order. Let's start with our spy. Ready for a quick trip?"

Kim grinned at Shego's suddenly mischievous expression.

"Oh, yeah."

Even as Shego smirked, Hego's team flew in, and landed near where the Huqaan ship had been.

"Everyone load up, and head home. Kim and I are going for the spy ourselves. Gyrzza, make sure everyone gets back safe, then coordinate with Bets to ensure she's still in line with getting all our _posers_ off my planet."

"I shall ensure your wishes are carried out to the letter, Lady Shego," Gyrzza said somberly.

Kim eyed the dragoness, and started to say speak.

"Words are not necessary, Lady Kimberly. It is obvious I am now beneath the Great Lady's notice," she said quietly as they all headed for the landing ship before the hatch even opened.

"Hey, hold up. Gyrzza," Kim told her, putting a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "You are not beneath anyone. Never think that. You're our friend, and our ally. You really helped us here, today, and that means a lot."

"That's right, Wings. You're part of our family now, so don't get upset over not getting a royal invite. Frankly, you're probably better off here."

"Do you think so," the silver dragoness smiled wanly.

"Well, duh? Where else do you get to have so much fun," Shego declared, and then scooped up Kim even as she transformed, and vanished from before them.

The Kwaa-quu, who had been a little despondent at being so blatantly ignored, had to smile all the more now. Lady Shego continued to be a surprisingly different kind of sister. Considering all they had faced, and might yet face, she was beginning to realize that was definitely not a bad thing.

Fun?

Interesting, at the least.

"Where did she go now," Hego complained as he stepped out of the ship once the hatch opened, his uniform torn, and bloody, but not a mark on him.

Gyrzza found herself laughing at the male's dour expression.

**KP**

Jack Hench swore vehemently as he pounded on his keyboards around him in his secret, underground lair that was beneath his old Henchco headquarters. A headquarters all but shut down after the alien tech started coming in, and the law amped up their game like literal gangbusters as Shego gave all the best toys to Interpol, and the like.

Suddenly, hardcore villains were literally running for their lives in some cases.

Rumors of a space prison waiting for the worst offenders didn't help.

Still, Jack was ever an opportunist.

It took time, but he found a few men willing to turn the usual blind eye, or take the appropriate bribes, and he started getting in some serious tech himself. Along with a surprising degree of Intel that he was able to sell to high bidders. More than a few even paid good, solid gold just for casual info on Shego and her unlikely _girlfriend_.

Considering he had a fountain of such information at his fingertips, he made a literal fortune selling tidbits to alien morons that didn't seem to realize they could have gotten the same information right off the Net for nothing.

Right off Possible's own website.

Still, while he was gearing up to restart Henchco in bigger and badder ways, seeking allies at home, and abroad, he suddenly found his computers seizing up. Freezing, or simply shutting down. When he tried to place orders for critical material, he ended up being shunted to a screen endlessly playing Minesweeper.

If he rebooted, he lost everything, and had to bring in his backup files to reboot yet again.

There was no doubt.

Someone had hacked him.

Only no one was supposed to even know he was here, so…..?

"Hello, Jack," a gruff, sardonic voice drawled as Jack spun around to see Shego walking in the door like she owned the place.

And Possible was right behind her.

"Know where I was five minutes ago? Guess? No? Saving our planet from your stupidity. Again."

"Shego, I don't know what you think….."

"Can it. You're going to listen to me for a change, Hench," she growled. "Unless you want a first class ticket to Mongo. Heard it's really a nasty place. The guy in charge likes to get real creative with his punishments. Especially for guys like you. On the other hand…."

"You want a deal? Done! I can always use a smart…."

"No, no, no," Kim cut him off. "You've got it wrong, Mr. Hench. You're going to work for us."

"I am," he asked.

"Oh, yeah. You see, I have this….problem. It requires….forward thinking. A real genius type. Someone that can take a crappy hand, and turn it into a Royal Flush. See where I'm going?"

"You want me? To work for you? Doing what," Jack asked uneasily as Shego eyed him like the last donut in a box.

"I'm glad you asked. Bear in mind, you do have a choice. You can do what I want, or….."

"Go to jail. Directly to jail. On _Mongo,"_ Kim smiled.

"I pass. I've heard about Mongo, too. And the loon that runs it."

"Let's not kid ourselves," Shego laughed, and walked over to sweep several of his computers off the desk to sit on it herself. "We both know if I sent you to Mongo, you'd be running the place inside a week. Two, tops. No, I want to exploit your skills, Jack. And if you don't play games, Mongo might seem like a paradise compared to what I do to you."

"So….. What's the job," Jack asked, firmly believing in self-perseveration.

"Earth needs to grow. It needs space. More importantly, it needs an outlet. I'm going to give it one. A challenge that not only brings us together, but gives us a cause beyond the next paycheck, or seeing who wins in the next pissing contest."

"Uh…..?"

"You're going to colonize Mars in my name. And expand from there."

"I'm…..what," Jack sputtered.

"Don't worry, I won't send you alone. I'm arranging transport for one thousand personnel as a start. You'll have all the equipment and resources you need to make a start. But you will be my chief security officer, and administrator up there. You'll make it work, and you'll keep the peace. Or else I'll know why."

"So, you're going to turn it into a prison planet?"

"Tempting, but no. Look at what happens when you build places like that? They always get too big, or come back and bite you in the butt. No, I want opportunity. I want people willing, and wanting to go. To build. To create. To explore. This is just step one, Jack, and you're going to help for a change. Since you obviously have a talent for organization, I felt you were the logical choice to get us up and moving from the start."

"Okay. So…..What's the pay?"

"Your life, for a start," Shego told him seriously.

"Now, wait a….."

Shego stood up, dusting herself off, and eyed him.

"You almost destroyed our planet with your games, Jack. You almost let those vermin blow us to pieces while you hoarded a bit of cash like some miser in a bad novel. Well, that's done. Your gold? Gone. Your secret accounts? Not so secret. And all empty. I know how you play. I know why. You just lost it all. Now, you do what I want, and keep your nose clean, and my agenda on track, and when you retire, provided you don't do anything else exceptionally stupid, I'll let you have a fair bonus that will let you retire anywhere you want in luxury."

"When you say retire," Jack asked uneasily. "What kind of time frame are we….."

"I'm still writing your contract Jack," Shego told him. "Now, I can add all kinds of fine print to screw you. Or you can say yes, and trust I'm being more fair than you ever were with your Henches."

Jack cringed at that.

"Sounds like you got a partner," Jack tried to smile.

"Employee," Shego said. "And, Jack. The first complaint….? That's your _last_ complaint. Understand me?"

"Perfectly," the uneasy opportunist grimaced.

"Good. Be at Canaveral in three days. Your flight will be ready to go by then. Oh, and the whole selling the planet out? That will stay our little secret as long as you cooperate. After all, I've got a few fanatical followers that would love to disembowel folks like you. You've seen my lupines? They take treachery very seriously. Consider that fact very carefully. Since I'll be sending a few to 'help' you get started."

Jack swallowed hard.

"You can count on me, Shego," he said, his voice cracking just a bit at the end as Shego snorted, and walked out.

"Come on, Kimmie. Let's go home. I still have to figure out how to win a war without killing anyone else."

Jack watched the pair walk out, and frowned.

They didn't trip a single alarm. They didn't register on his security system. They just appeared, and now, he noted, eyeing the monitors that showed nothing beyond his office, they have simply vanished.

How the hell did they do that?

He considered the new job, and frowned. Then, started to smile.

Mars.

If he played this right, he could be bigger name that Columbus, or even Armstrong. He could be the name everyone remembered generations from now.

Even as he mused on his legacy, he remembered something else the woman had said.

His accounts? Empty?

He rushed to one of the still functional computers, and opened his private account.

And felt like crying when he saw the zero balance.

There had been over fifty billion in that special account. Fifty billion hard-earned dollars.

His life's savings.

"It's not fair," he sputtered, and banged on the stupid keyboard.

He could almost hear Shego sniggering in his ear.

_To Be Continued…._


	14. Chapter 14

_I do not own any Disney characters named herein, and am only borrowing them to tell a nonprofit tale meant for entertainment purposes only._

**Kim Possible: Empires**

**By LJ58**

**13**

"So, you beat the Fallen," Ron asked Shego as she appeared in the office long after they had word that whatever had happened, had happened, but no one was quite sure what. Everyone had vanished from the scene, and while there were several recorded explosions after the fact from underground, no one had any clue what had happened, or what was going on.

Until Shego walked into the office with Kim and Gyrzza, and dropped into a chair near a window, declaring, "I'm beat."

"No! _No_ vacations," Betty snapped knowingly.

Kim grinned.

"Actually, I thought I'd stay in town a while. Settle some of the politics, and….oh, take over the world….my way."

"I knew it," Will Du spat, and glared at her.

He was, however, smart enough not to try anything.

"Cheer up, errand boy. If I swing half what I envision, you'll be getting a promotion."

"Promotion," Will frowned as he looked toward Dr. Director. "But I'm already senior commander, and the only rank higher is….."

"Exactly," Shego nodded as Will glanced at Dr. Director again. "I want you to take over Global Justice."

"Me?"

"Him," Kim frowned.

"Think about it, Kimmie," Shego grinned. "Who better. The guy probably sleeps with his rule book. If _he_ doesn't know the law, it's probably not legit."

"I'm not that obsessive," Will huffed. "I merely respect the job we are attempting to do, and…."

"Yada, yada, yada. Look, the job is going to be a lot more complicated. Especially when you hear the rest of my plans."

"Just what are your plans," Shego was asked by Dr. Director, who rose from behind the desk, and pointedly left the seat, and walked around the desk to face her.

"I'm going to change the world. Hopefully, in a good way."

"And this Fallen is gone."

"History. I won't jinx us by saying he won't be back, but….it's unlikely," Shego said bluntly, and said no more.

"That's it? You're not going to tell us what hap….."

"You had to be there, Bets."

"And you didn't want to be there," Kim said, knowing that Shego's twin brothers were still shaken up a little over their role.

Ironically, Kim's brothers actually complained they had missed the action.

Hego simply echoed, "We did what we had to do."

Which was true enough.

"Kimberly?"

"Lady Shego is in charge, Dr. Director," she said formally. "And considering what we still face, it's time we all got behind her, and started listening to her. Look at all the people hurt and killed because of petty rivalries and ambitions right here on our world alone. Something I hated even back during my hero days. If you'll listen, maybe we can finally put these issues behind us. Maybe not all at once, but….it will be a start."

"So, what's your plan," Dr. Director asked.

"First, you step down, and promote Will. Who unites _all_ global law enforcement under his aegis."

"You're….kidding," Will frowned.

"Not for a second. The biggest obstacle to justice, as opposed to Law, has always been a fragmented judicial system. We're going to combine all the major law enforcement networks under one roof. Ours. Just as we're going to form a real, and genuine United Nations. One devoted to the good of Mankind as a whole. Not nations, sects, or anything else. The planet. That's just one step."

"And what do I have to do in this," she asked as Betty glared at her.

"You get to be my official front man, so to speak. Gyrzza will be taking over the day-to-day administrative duties for the time being. You and I are going to hammer out a new political system that lets the planet rule itself, under my authority, but giving national, or local leaders the autonomy to get things done without endless committees, or the usual corruption."

"How is that different….?"

"With the understanding that they now work toward the good of their own people, and the planet as a whole. Anyone wants to argue, they're charged with treason."

"Against you?"

"Against the _species._ It's a Coalition law, Dr. Director," Shego sat up and eyed her as she actually addressed her formally. "I did pay attention to some classes," she winked at Kim.

"So, you would hold world leaders responsible for…."

"Listen, Betty. Doesn't it sicken you to see guys who gun down their own people while scooping up billions for themselves, and claiming they aren't at fault? Or what about people that purposely bankrupt their own economies, and then let their own starve, or die while they live in luxury? The Coalition has its issues, but rule one, you take care of your people. If you don't, you're removed from power, and someone that can do the job is put in. I'm going to give you a crash course in my expectations, and then you're going to put it in place. Immediately."

"And what will you be doing?"

"Supporting you, and preparing to expand our presence in the galaxy. I already have Jack Hench organizing our first Martian colony."

"You what?"

They turned to stare at Ron.

"Jack Hench," Ron frowned. "Henchco Hench? _That_ Jack Hench?"

"Trust me, he's perfect for the job. Besides, it'll keep him busy, and make him do something productive for a change."

"And how do we know he won't build an army to resist you," Betty asked pointedly.

"One, I confiscated all his gold, and hidden wealth."

Betty gaped at that one. Even she had never been able to get a handle on that man. Not for the lack of trying.

"And…two," Betty asked.

"Two, I'll be sending a few of my _personal_ guards to see that he behaves. I think you know how my lupines would take any hint of betrayal?"

Considering Betty had seen just one of them take down five Pylsian hunters that tried to dare the guards around her earlier without breaking a sweat, Betty could imagine what they might do to a single man that defied their 'Lady.'

"So, you're taking over the planet, and pushing out into space. What about your war?"

"I'm going to settle it. Kim and I will be making a few trips soon. Don't worry, we won't be long. And General Bludstone will ensure the system is adequately protected until the word gets out that Abbie is done. Meanwhile, we've all got a lot to do, so…..shall we get going," Shego asked.

"You're really going to take over the entire galaxy," Will asked in stunned wonder.

"Well, it seems the only way to get these morons in line is to step on them, and make them listen. I mean, jeez, otherwise they're just going to keep lining up to be cannon fodder."

"That actually made sense, Pumpkin," Shego grinned at Kim.

"Hey!"

"Just remember, you're not doing anything else strenuous," she added. "You're just along for the ride. And speaking of which, our first trip should be Toivvaku. We have a few fires to put out there before your true believers get too carried away out there."

"Right," Kim sighed.

"So, any other arguments," Shego asked, "Or do we get to work?"

"I'd better make fresh coffee," Sean drawled, having been standing in the door listening all that time. "It's obviously going to be a long night."

"They don't get any shorter," Betty grimaced.

"Mars," Ron echoed.

"Oh, no. Absolutely not," Bonnie snapped at him when she recognized his tone.

Kim just smiled at the unlikely pair.

Almost as unlikely as she and Shego.

"And it's not like I _want_ to take over the damn galaxy," Shego went on as she snapped at Betty. "This is for my kid. You heard the big boss. She's going to be the real leader. I…. We…..just have to get things ready for her. So, let's get to it, because no way am I leaving my kid this kind of mess."

Kim sidled up to her, and smiled.

"You mean the mess we made?"

"Watch it, you," Shego growled. "Or I'll leave you on Toivvaku."

Kim wrinkled her nose.

"Try it, and I'll suggest you really are the Grat Ba'auu, and just plan on using our daughter as a front."

Shego looked horrified.

"Don't even joke," she rasped.

"So," Kim asked quietly of Shego as Betty just frowned at the pair, and then went to work as if expecting this very scenario. "Are we really just going back for a political visit?"

"Well, I thought we might get a _little_ time off while we were there," Shego murmured for her ears alone. "I was thinking we both deserve it," she grinned. "But let's keep that a secret until we get things up and running here so we can….."

"Bail?"

"I prefer to call it…. What's the word? Defer?"

"Works for me, Lady Shego," Kim smiled, and lay her head on her shoulder as she stood beside her. "Want me to call in Wade? I'll bet he could make sense of the politics faster than all of us."

"Actually, I already called him. And I think between him, Bets, and Wings, we can get this hammered out in less than a week."

"I hope so," Kim grinned. "I would love a little time to ourselves again before I do get seriously big," she sighed, still rubbing her swollen abdomen now obviously starting to more than show.

"Don't worry. I'll still love you, balloon and all."

"Balloon," Kim sputtered.

Shego only sniggered, which made Kim roll her eyes.

"You will pay for that."

"Later," Shego suggested.

"Fine," Kim sighed, and eyed the tray of coffee mugs the aide returned to offer them. "Let's get to work," she said, and reached for a mug of steaming coffee herself as she began to organize things to her liking without waiting.

Shego wasn't too surprised.

She had to smile as she watched the animated redhead, and didn't even mind that Bets just scowled and argued most of the night in spite of the fact most of her suggestions really were for their own good.

Some would say that night began a new era of peace and prosperity for the young planet. A peace that spread fast as news of the Grat Ba'auu, and her Moon Goddess consort swept across the galaxy, and then across the known universe. Most would say that.

But that is another story.

_To Be Continued…_


	15. Chapter 15

_I do not own any Disney characters named herein, and am only borrowing them to tell a nonprofit tale meant for entertainment purposes only._

**Kim Possible: Empires**

**By LJ58**

**Epilogue:**

_Somewhen in Time and Space:_

"The rift grows," one of the entities fretted, seeing the ribbon of space/time uncurling before their very eyes.

"Our efforts are in vain. Even we don't have the energies necessary to seal the anomaly."

"We do now," another of their kind appeared, holding a crude construct roiling with energies so intense that they seemed on the verge of exploding had not their kindred helped contain them.

"What is that device? How could it have harnessed such might?"

"Explanations must wait. Until this moment, I was unable to ascertian a solution to our dilemma. Now, I have. I must rejoin myself in an earlier time. That is the anomaly. Our joining was fated, and until accomplished, this rift will only grow, endangering the galaxy, and the universe as a whole."

"How may we aid you, brother," another of the entities that monitored the Mu'ubarle sector of the M'Kandii galaxy, ensuring that no one blundered into the rift by keeping everyone away.

For there were also a great many pre-sentient species here they were trying to protect. Life, and the promise of Life was their secret mandate they chose to protect. If they seemed neutral, or even hostile to others, it only aided their long-term goals. They did not cater to developed worlds. Their concern was giving undeveloped worlds a chance to rise.

That was their goal.

"Just ease your hold on the center of the rift. Seal it anew only after I enter."

"But, brother, you risk your very existence with such an act!"

"If I am right, I will spare the galaxy madness on a scale even we might scarcely imagine. Now, prepare. This must be done, and done soon if I am correct in my suspicions."

The five entities in space merely acknowledged their kindred, and then pulled away.

The Chancellor tightened his grip on the smoldering cauldron of dragon power, and entered the rift in time/space, trusting himself to a fate he had suspected was coming for years.

**KP**

_Some time in the Past:_

The Chancellor encountered a second of his race as he paused to observe a small, barely developed world.

"This is the center of the ancient prophecy? The Great Lady's heir rises from this world," he asked his kindred.

"So it is said, by those that know the true prophecy."

"So it is said."

They both turned when they saw a flash of brilliant energy, and sensed a scream of sorts as they turned in that direction. Willing themselves to move, they flashed across millions of miles of space, and appeared before the faltering, cracked hull of an iridescent orb that was literally bleeding out its life force.

"A Seedling? Someone attacked a Seedling," one of the Chancellors exclaimed. "What madness is this," he asked, reaching out to stop its spiraling descent into a nearby star that would have certainly consumed it.

"It is almost dead. Perhaps we should let it…."

"No. It is still whole enough. With enough energy, we could reinvigorate it, and return it to its purpose."

"You would spare a Dragon Seedling, knowing who sent it? And why?"

"This is Life, brother. No less compelling than any other we choose to seek out, and protect. No less than any other pre-sentient we encourage. Are we Judges now, to declare the Hope of Life is for one, but not another?"

"Do as you will. I have seen enough. Besides, you do not have enough energy to restore Life to that husk. Not even the Great Lady herself could do that. Nor do I wish to bring her long nose here if we inform her someone is attacking her Seedlings now."

"You think this was an attack?"

"What else could fracture one of Hers," his brother huffed, and then declared, "I am leaving. This region has ceased to be interesting."

The Chancellor stared at the Seedling he held, and frowned.

The flow of Life's energies were slowing to a dangerous ebb, and he knew his kindred was right. The husk was going to die, and he wasn't sure how to save it. Even as he looked mournfully down at the waste he held before him, a flash of energy exploded brighter than the nearby star, and even blinded him for a moment.

He spun wildly through space, and when he reoriented himself, he realized that not only was the Seedling freed of his grasp, it was hurling at high speed toward a nearby planet. Third from its star.

Frowning, he willed himself to follow, noting the reenergized spark that now guided the Seedling. The Fractured Seedling. He was barely into the planet's atmosphere when the already fractured husk exploded below him, and he looked down to see a handful of primates irradiated by the escaping energies that he had not realized the Seedling still possessed. He stared in wonder as the older male rose, shoving aside debris to dig out his siblings as a young female all but roared as plasma exploded around her as she burst out of the crater that had all but swallowed her.

He saw the siblings gaping at one another. Saw other primates rushing to assess the event. Something told him, on some level that even he couldn't quite understand, that he was viewing a pivotal moment. Something that had to happen. That would always happen. If allowed.

He looked around, but saw nothing else.

No reason for that sudden spark.

No reason for that rush of invigorating Life.

Yet he sensed that today was a turning point on a scale that might just be Cosmic in scope.

And not just for those primitives below that had been unknowingly gifted with a power beyond their current reckoning.

**KP**

The backlash from the rift drove the five watching Chancellors back even as they felt the force of something from within explode just after their brother had slipped through that ominous crack in Space/Time.

"What happened," one asked.

"Did he….self-terminate?"

"Hardly," the Chancellor they thought gone spoke from behind them.

"Brother? But you just….?"

"Temporal anomalies can be confusing even to our minds," he remarked blandly. "I long suspected my role in something…..past, and now I know for certain."

"But….how did you return? You just….?"

"I lived out my life anew watching from the shadows, and guiding those that needed guidance. All will be as it should now, brothers. Come. The M'Kandii galaxy, and this sector, is safe. We may depart in peace. All is as it should be," he said again.

They all stared back at the area where the rift had been. It was gone as if it had never been.

"You must explain this one, brother. We are, understandably, confused."

"Indeed. I quite understand. Come, I shall relay my tale. It began back when I first encountered a fractured Seedling on my first sojourn into this galaxy….."

KP

Somewhere beyond known time and space was a singular presence that lurked in shadows, and plotted against all of Creation.

A mind twisted in irredeemable madness.

That troubled mind sulked deep in the darkness of the murky depths where he had been exiled, and plotted.

Someday, somehow, he would break free of his prison. Even as he plotted, he felt his true and rightful power returning to him. Not fully. Not yet. But it was returning to him.

Just as he would return. To his rightful Universe. His rightful place in his own empire.

Then, he would shake the very Cosmos with his wrath.

Someday.

_End…..?_


End file.
